Washing hands at a sink? Good old-fashioned soap is your friend – If you’re washing at a sink (at home, or in an office environment) and you have running water and good old-fashioned soap available then use them instead of a hand sanitiser. Soap and water usually work better than sanitiser as it is easier to fully and completely cover your hands with soapy water.

Why? The “skin” of the virus is formed from lipds (fats) and soap dissolves those fats and causes the virus to fall apart. Soap also helps to remove virus particles that are “stuck” to your skin in the same way that it lifts and removes dirt.

Remember also that Sars-CoV-2 (coronavirus) isn’t a bacteria so the anti-bacterial ingredients in many pump dispenser soaps have no extra effect on it. You don’t need any kind of fancy soap – ordinary bars of soap work just as well.

Use sanitiser products when you are out and about and have no access to soap and water. That way you help to conserve stocks.

However you do it – make sure you wash your hands properly and thoroughly: https://www.nhs.uk/…/healthy-b…/best-way-to-wash-your-hands/

Note that this applies in normal domestic and office settings – in high cleanliness and high-risk environments specialist products and advice apply.

(https://www.cdc.gov/ha…/show-me-the-science-handwashing.html)

   Leave a comment