Hand Sanitiser / Alcohol Based Hand Rub (ABHR)
There is so much information out there on hand sanitisers and many products that take the name but how do you know what to buy?
Well, let's break it down...
The WHO recommends the most effective way to protect yourself against the new coronavirus is by frequently cleaning your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or washing them with soap and water.
So, if you don't have access to soap and water, which ABHR do you choose?
- The gold standard is a sanitiser with 60–80 per cent alcohol — the level required to kill the virus if it is on your hands
- The highest antimicrobial efficacy can be achieved with ethanol (60% to 85%), isopropanol (60% to 80%), and n-propanol (60% to 80%)
- Well-formulated products containing >70% ethanol, including ABHR foams, can exhibit greater efficacy than products with higher alcohol levels.
- Product format (gel, liquid, foam) at equal concentration does not affect drying time but volume does.
- Testing standards: EN 1500 (Hygienic Hand Rub) and ASTM E1174 (Healthcare Personnel Handwash)
- So, the aim is 2-3mL and rub for at least 30 seconds.
Some great resources/reading:
- https://www.who.int/gpsc/information_centre/handrub-formulations/en/
- https://aricjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13756-019-0553-z
- https://bmcproc.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1753-6561-5-S6-P26
- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1471-2334-14-511
- https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-04-02/coronavirus-hand-sanitiser-may-not-be-effective/12110170
- https://www.science.org.au/curious/people-medicine/hand-sanitiser-or-soap-making-informed-choice-covid-19