Your Top 7 Questions About PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer Answered

Hand hygiene, which includes washing your hands with soap and water and using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, like PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer, is one of the most important measures we can all take to reduce the spread of germs that can cause illness. Yet, oftentimes, questions may arise around using alcohol-based hand sanitizers. With that in mind, we have taken the most common questions and answered them for you.

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1. Is it safe to use alcohol-based hand sanitizers?
   PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer is safe and effective. Ethyl alcohol, the active ingredient in PURELL Hand Sanitizer, has been used safely by the public for decades and is one of the safest and most effective antimicrobial ingredients known.
   
   
2. Can I use hand sanitizer safely multiple times a day?
   Yes. Numerous studies support the safety of long-term, repeated use of PURELL Hand Sanitizers. It is critical to practice good hand hygiene at key moments, such as before eating, after using the restroom and after touching objects that are frequently touched by others.
   
   
3. Is it better to use plain soap and water?
   Both handwashing and hand sanitizing are effective measures to help prevent the spread of germs that may cause illness. What has been proven in hospitals is that well-formulated alcohol-based hand sanitizers are better than plain soap and water at reducing bacterial counts on hands and are less drying and irritating.
   
   
4. Do alcohol-based hand sanitizers cause supergerms?
   Alcohol-based hand sanitizers kill germs in a different way than antibiotics, and they are not left behind to let the germs either become resistant or become what some people call “supergerms.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is no chance for the germs to adapt or develop resistance to an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, even with frequent use.1
   
   
5. Do all hand sanitizers work the same?
   No. When it comes to hand sanitizing products, formulation matters. The active ingredient is important but the total formulation affects the product’s effectiveness. The product also has to deliver good skin care performance and be likeable to use.
   
   
6. Does PURELL Hand Sanitizer really kill 99.99% of illness-causing germs?
   All PURELL™ products are tested against a broad spectrum of micro-organisms and have resulted in more than 99.99% reduction of those organisms.
   
   
7. Is it safe to use PURELL Hand Sanitizer for my children?
   Yes; PURELL Hand Sanitizer is safe and effective for everyone. It is important for all of us to practice healthy behaviors and hand hygiene, which includes using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, like PURELL Advanced Hand Sanitizer, is one the most important measures we can all take to help us to stay healthy. Children under 6 years of age should be supervised when using any PURELL product.
   
   

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Hand Hygiene in Healthcare Settings. Retrieved June 2, 2016, fromhttp://www.cdc.gov/handhygiene/science/index.html

Guest Blogger:
Samantha Williams
Director of Public Relations, GOJO Industries

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