would hand sanitizer be effective?

[AnnMorin]

Ok as we prepare to go on the cruise I have repeatedly told DS and DH about washing hands. ( I may have better luck with DS than DH as he thinks he is immune to everything-didn't even catch my cold ) I bought several purse size containers of purell and was just reading the bottle which says kills 99.99 percent of germs, so my question is ...
Are virus germs? or are only bacteria germs and therefore the purell is useless on the norwalk virus? I had planned on having Mike (DS) use some before and after going to the club and before eating. I of course will have him wash his hands too but don't want to make him turn into a compulsive hand washer.

Yup I can see it now years later he will be an unmarried looser
(ok he is only nine so MANY years later) in therapy because he can not stop worrying about peoples germs!

So would the hand sanitizer work?

PS- I also have packed pepto, handi wipes, and immodium!

 

[alexandrew]

Your post reminds me of an interview I once read with Donald Trump. Being very "germ phobic", he couldn't understand why Americans wouldn't adopt the Japanese tradition of bowing to one another. He stated he would exit a restroom in a restaurant after washing his hands with hot, soapy water, only to have to shake hands with a complete stranger greeting him....

As for Purell, I use it frequently and love it. As an outside sales rep, I shake hands with people constantly. I keep a bottle of Purell in my car "post contact"...Afterall, who knows where people's hands have been?

 

[mcnuss]

Ann - check this out. http://www.purell.com/consumer.htm.

The Club & Lab did a great job last week of getting the kids to wash their hands. They made it part of the fun. On the way to eat, they stopped in the restrooms and washed, too. DD told me they even had someone hold the door open with a paper towel so they would not touch anything icky on the door handle. The kids just took it as a normal part of the routine. It was great!

 

[4nana]

LOL...same packing list here
Pepto, lysol wipes, lysol spray, immodium, antibacterial hand sanitizer. I've read the hand sanitizer is not any more effective than good old soap and water and does not protect one against viral. As for me, I would rather be safe than sorry, I can whip it out anyplace, anytime I'm not near a bathroom.

 

[mcnuss]

4nana -- you just reminded me! I had packed Lysol spray in the outside pocket of my suitcase and when I got my luggage, it was gone! Don't know if the airline or DCL took it, but I ended up replacing it in Key West. I sprayed every surface of our room including all the bedding, phone, knobs on drawers, bathroom flusher button - everything. DH thought I had lost my mind! But we didn't get sick.

Also, don't forget the Pepcid. Those rich meals and all that wine take their toll.

 

[kramer_clan]

If we as a society keep using these products on a daily basis, the germs will mutate and we won't be able to kill them with any anti-biotic or soap.

A good scrub with hot soapy water will do the trick and it won't kill all the good cells that may be on your hands that can help fight the bad ones.

Just my opinion.

Vicki

 

[Lisa F]

Originally posted by kramer_clan
If we as a society keep using these products on a daily basis, the germs will mutate and we won't be able to kill them with any anti-biotic or soap.

A good scrub with hot soapy water will do the trick and it won't kill all the good cells that may be on your hands that can help fight the bad ones.

Just my opinion.

[\QUOTE]

I agree about antibacterial stuff, Vicki, but I went to Purell's website and read about their product. It's not antibacterial (which basically kills the weak bacteria and leaves strong, mutated bacteria in its place) but just alcohol and conditioners so it doesn't dry out your hands. According to the site it's the same thing doctors have been using for over a century without a problem and is effective as a supplement to handwashing. It also evaporates off of your skin and doesn't stay on your skin (like antibacterial stuff does) so it just kills whatever is immediately on your skin... it doesn't kill all of the good bacteria for hours afterwards.

Lisa