Hand sanitizer: the 60% alcohol rule, how to use it and its limits
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- Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer (fragrance free). Best for: Everyday use when no sink is available. See options on Amazon
- Travel-size hand sanitizer bottles. Best for: Bags, cars and travel. See options on Amazon
- Hand sanitizer pump bottle. Best for: Homes and offices. See options on Amazon
Check the alcohol percentage
The CDC says to use a hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, and that you can tell by checking the product label. On a Drug Facts label, look at the active ingredient line. Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer Fragrance Free, for example, lists ethyl alcohol 70% v/v as its active ingredient, with the purpose antimicrobial and the use to reduce bacteria on the skin.
Also check the inactive ingredients if you have sensitive skin. Purell's fragrance-free label lists water, isopropyl alcohol, caprylyl glycol, glycerin, isopropyl myristate and tocopheryl acetate among them, with no fragrance listed.
How to use hand sanitizer
The CDC's steps are:
- Apply the product to the palm of one hand; read the label to learn the correct amount.
- Put enough on your hands to cover all surfaces.
- Rub your hands and fingers together until they are dry, which should take around 20 seconds.
The CDC says not to rinse or wipe off hand sanitizer before it is dry, because it may not work well against germs. Purell's label says the same in short: place product on hands and rub until dry.
When soap and water work better
| Situation | Use | Why, per the CDC |
|---|---|---|
| Hands visibly dirty or greasy | Soap and water | Sanitizer may not be as effective |
| Norovirus, Cryptosporidium or C. difficile | Soap and water | Soap and water remove these germs better |
| Chemicals like pesticides or lead | Soap and water | Sanitizer might not remove them |
| No sink available, hands not visibly dirty | Sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol | Use it when soap and water are unavailable |
The CDC adds that if a handwashing station is available, you should wash your hands with soap and water instead. For washing, see our antibacterial hand soap guide.
Label warnings
- Flammable. Purell's label says to keep it away from fire or flame.
- External use only. Do not use in or near the eyes; if contact happens, rinse eyes thoroughly with water.
- Skin reactions. Stop use and ask a doctor if irritation or rash appears and lasts.
- Children. Keep out of reach of children. If swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away, as the label says.
The CDC also says to supervise young children when they use hand sanitizer to prevent swallowing alcohol.
Gel, foam or spray
Hand sanitizers come as gels, foams and sprays, and labels differ by product, so read the active ingredient and directions on the one you buy. Whatever the format, the CDC's 60% minimum and rub-until-dry steps apply.
If a sanitizer irritates your skin, the Purell label says to stop use and ask a doctor if irritation or rash appears and lasts. For a gentle wash when you can get to a sink, see our body wash guide, and for dry, cracked hands our paraffin bath guide.
Storing and carrying sanitizer
Because sanitizer is flammable, store it away from heat and flame, as the label warns. Keep travel bottles capped and out of reach of children, and check the active ingredient and percentage on every new bottle rather than assuming a brand's formula is the same across products.
Sanitizer is a backup for clean hands, not a replacement for handwashing when you can get to a sink.
Key times to clean your hands, per the CDC, include before and after eating food, after using the toilet, after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing, after touching garbage, and before and after treating a cut or wound. Use soap and water when you can, and sanitizer when you cannot.
What to look for when you buy
Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer (fragrance free)
Best for: Everyday use when no sink is available
Its Drug Facts label lists ethyl alcohol 70% v/v, above the CDC's 60% minimum.
Watch out: Flammable; keep away from fire and children.
See options on AmazonTravel-size hand sanitizer bottles
Best for: Bags, cars and travel
Small bottles make it easier to follow the CDC's advice to sanitize when soap and water are not available.
Watch out: Check the label shows at least 60% alcohol.
See options on AmazonHand sanitizer pump bottle
Best for: Homes and offices
A pump makes it easy to dispense enough to cover all surfaces of your hands, as the CDC advises.
Watch out: Still wash with soap and water when hands are dirty or greasy.
See options on AmazonQuestions people ask
- What percentage of alcohol should hand sanitizer have?
- The CDC says at least 60% alcohol; check the active ingredient on the label.
- How long should I rub hand sanitizer?
- Until your hands are dry, which the CDC says should take around 20 seconds.
- Is hand sanitizer as good as washing hands?
- Not always; the CDC says soap and water work better against norovirus, Cryptosporidium and C. difficile, and on dirty or greasy hands.
- Can I wipe off hand sanitizer?
- The CDC says not to rinse or wipe it off before it is dry.
- Is hand sanitizer safe for kids?
- Supervise young children to prevent swallowing alcohol, and call Poison Control if swallowed, per the CDC and the label.
Sources
- Hand Sanitizer Guidelines and Recommendations (cdc.gov), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Purell Advanced Hand Sanitizer Fragrance Free (alcohol) label (dailymed.nlm.nih.gov), DailyMed, U.S. National Library of Medicine
- About Handwashing (cdc.gov), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention