Hand Sanitizers - Silly Question

[TerriP]

Okay, we're having a silly discussion at work and I thought I'd post here to see if we can find an answer. Don't ask why we're talking about this...I think we're all tired.

Anyway, when you use hand sanitizer, where do the germs go? Are you left with dead germs on your hands and, if so, isn't that going to lead to new germs???

Yes, we are looking to solve major human tragedies at our office today...we are thinking BIG!

 

[Christine]

The alcohol in the hand sanitizer kills germs. So, yes, you are left with the carcass of a germ molecule on your hand. I don't think dead germs breed more dead germs (like rotting meat might) and, at any rate, the hands are quickly overcome by new, living germs.

 

[Lanie]

Yeap, your hands are full of dead germs.

Hand sanitizer freaks me out!

 

[Judy from Boise]

the alcohol denatures the cell membrane of the germs I believe......do you not think you all ready have dead germs on your skin? We have normal flora dying off all of the time.

 

[Saphire]

Hand sanitizer freaks me out!

Me too! I work in a hospital setting and never use the stuff. It is better than nothing, but soap and water makes more sense to me and it feels much cleaner to wash the germs away.

 

[MaryAnnDVC]

Me too! I work in a hospital setting and never use the stuff. It is better than nothing, but soap and water makes more sense to me and it feels much cleaner to wash the germs away.

I prefer soap and water, but it sure is nice to have hand sanitizer when I can't wash my hands. For example, I had my car fixed yesterday, so I used hand sanitizer after driving the car...and I went to Target and bought Lysol and sprayed the steering wheel! I am so not normally like that...I'm not one to worry about germs in a hotel or anything. I'm just being a bit more careful these days. While at Target, I picked up a prescription and used hand sanitizer after using that "pen" to sign the thingie.

Eh. Maybe it will help, maybe it won't.

 

[legalsea]

A medical doctor stated the other day (some interview on tv) that when you use the hand sanitizer you must rub enough onto your hands so that your hands stay 'wet' for at least 15 to 20 seconds, which sounded reasonable to me.

 

[npmommie]

The alcohol in the hand sanitizer kills germs. So, yes, you are left with the carcass of a germ molecule on your hand. I don't think dead germs breed more dead germs (like rotting meat might) and, at any rate, the hands are quickly overcome by new, living germs.

the alcohol denatures the cell membrane of the germs I believe......do you not think you all ready have dead germs on your skin? We have normal flora dying off all of the time.

what they said

A medical doctor stated the other day (some interview on tv) that when you use the hand sanitizer you must rub enough onto your hands so that your hands stay 'wet' for at least 15 to 20 seconds, which sounded reasonable to me.

yep, and you have to rub them til it dries, then the dead germs will be there

 

[princess momma]

What Judy from Boise and Christine said. Our whole bodies are covered with normal bacteria all the time - on our skin, in out mouths, in our GI tract - so we always have dead bacteria on our bodies.

It's a good idea to use hand sanitizer and kill those bad germs. Even if the dead bad germs are still on our hands. They're dead and can't hurt us.

 

[TerriP]

Yeap, your hands are full of dead germs.

Hand sanitizer freaks me out!

Me too! My coworker uses it and I was teasing her that now she has dead germs all over her hands...and she disagreed with me and said the alcohol evaporates them! What????

 

[laurie31]

Me too! My coworker uses it and I was teasing her that now she has dead germs all over her hands...and she disagreed with me and said the alcohol evaporates them! What????

ROTFL!!!

That sounds like something EvilGenius's former co-worker (Miss Information) would say!