How do soap and sanitizer differ in how they work? Which on is better in situations like now and why?
In: Chemistry
The general recommendations of the medical community, including the CDC, are to wash your hands with soap and water when it is available, and to use hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol in situations where it is not available or impractical.
Hand sanitizer is generally less effective than soap and water on hands that are heavily soiled, that is to say, visibly dirty/noticeably greasy. People often also use insufficient amounts or remove it prematurely from their hands (although this can also be the case with soap). They also aren’t as effective for removing all forms of contamination and don’t kill all germs.
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