Hand Sanitizer Does Not Replace Washing Dirty or Greasy Hands
SkinArticleAfter gardening, sport or food handling, visibly dirty or greasy hands need soap and water.
In this article
Dirt and grease change the choice
CDC1 advises washing with soap and water when hands are heavily soiled or greasy. Hand sanitizer may not work well in those circumstances. Handling food, playing sports and gardening are examples where hands can become soiled.1
What if a sink is available?
CDC1 recommends soap and water whenever possible. Sanitizers can reduce microbes in some situations, but they do not eliminate every type of germ.1
What if soap and water are unavailable?
CDC1 advises a sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol when soap and water are unavailable. That advice does not make sanitizer equivalent to washing visibly dirty or greasy hands.1
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