Good hygiene is always a necessity to cut off the wide spread of bacteria and viruses. During the current pandemic of coronavirus there is huge need to maintain good hygiene. The products for maintaining good hygiene include hand wash liquids, soaps, antiseptic hand rubs and alcohol sanitizer wipes.
The first and foremost benefit associated with alcohol sanitizer wipes is that they contain 60 to 95 percent of alcohol. The high concentration of alcohol provides the best germ-fighting capacity.
The alcohol sanitizer wipes are the handy option for the sanitation routine. The wipes work by inhibiting the growth of cells of bacteria and viruses. Moreover, the alcohol sanitizing wipes also destroy the already existing germs and inactivates them.
What are the types of sanitizers?
Hand sanitizers come in two forms: alcohol-based and alcohol-free. Alcohol based hand sanitizers come in the form of isopropanol, ethanol and n-propanol.
What is the effectiveness of alcohol sanitizer wipes?
The effectiveness of sanitizers depends upon various factors which include duration of exposure, amount of the product used, frequency of use etc. Also, the effectiveness depends on whether the active ingredients in sanitizer can thoroughly kill the viruses present on the hands of a person.
Research based results have shown that rubbing alcohol sanitizer wipesover the fingers and hand surfaces for 30 seconds can reduce the development of viruses, bacteria and fungi.
Additionally, hand sanitizing wipes are known to control the transmission of various diseases. Moreover, the alcohol sanitizer wipes help in the reduction of illness episodes and sick days. Also, these wipes are said to linked with the improvement in hygiene of hands.
What are the associated safety concerns with sanitizing wipes?
Various research studies have indicated the link of antimicrobial compounds in alcohol-based wipes with the dysfunctioning of endocrines system. Triclosan, an antimicrobial compound is also linked with the environmental contamination.
Development of antimicrobial resistance is another negative aspect associated with alcohol-based wipes. Also, the wipes have been linked with product flammability and ingestion. The alcohol-based sanitizing wipes are likely to dry out quickly. The drying out of the skin could be due to the disruption of protective layers of oil.
Irritant contact dermatitis is the skin reaction reported as a result of use of alcohol sanitizer wipes. Another bigger aspect associated with wipes is the depletion of lipid barriers which leads to the formation of colonies of bacteria.