Is it safe to use hand sanitizers about 10 times a day?

Hand sanitizers have the same problem as anti-bacterial soap: the bacteria can adapt to them and become immune. The more exposure, the higher the possibility that target bacteria will adapt to a new form…one not affected by soap and sanitizer measures.

Besides…a washing obsession is much better than coming down with one of the thousands of diseases.

..and just remember its not a substitute for lotion.

Spinel…........police officers carry a huge bottle of Germx in their police cars. you can understand why.

In that situation, yes. However, hand sanitizers were not made to replace water and soap. For police officers, carrying all that sanitizer along is practical, since running water is not always available.

Using hand sanitizers is fine. But they don’t kill everything. Soap and water is better.

fun fact: hand sanatizers just kill the germs; the germs don’t fall out of hands. You should sanitize and then wash your hands.

i’ve found that with excessive use, it also dries my skin out..

@cyndihugs Another fun fact along these lines: bodies of dead bacteria are an excellent breeding ground for new bacteria, and is known as “Rich media” if you are in biology. Washing is good.

As to your original question, however, using hand sanitizers won’t really hurt your immune system at all, if you stop using it your body won’t suddenly become more susceptible then when you were not using it. However, as has been said, sanitizing is not a substitute for washing, simply a convenient way to kill bacteria when washings are not practical at the time.

@ella This is typical. Almost all sanitizers are alcohol based, which will dry your hands out with use. Yet another reason to wash.

I do this all the time. Sure I might be a bit of a germ freak, and a little nuts. But you can never be clean enough. It has never cause a health problem for me.

Here is what I think: That “super” bacteria are created by using disinfectants like this is true. When you kill 99.99% of everything, the 0.01% that survives are the tough ones and they are going to multiply. Besides, of the 99.9%, most of that is good bacteria that is actually working with your body, not against it.

Here is some perspective from a molecular biologist

Secondly, alcohol is very drying. It is going to wear on your skin after a while, and eventually you are going to have to spend buku bucks on moisturizers to replace all the moisture that Purell has stripped away.

A good general rule is: Make sure shit does not enter your mouth. Any additional disinfecting is unnecessary.

America is totally a country of germophobes!

Some perspective: The population is still growing in places where water is contaminated with cholera and there is no sewer infrastructure to keep the shit out of the water supply.

While I am in no way a germaphobe, there’s a reason why there are Purel stations all over the hospital.

Alcohol doesn’t breed resistant bacteria, according to the specialist on the NPR report during the MERSA outbreak a few years back (as opposed to anti-bacterial soap, which is a different story).

But definitely keep washing your hands—you know, to keep dirt off. And do it regularly but not obsessively.

Everyone should wash their hands at least once a week….and the Germx has kind of a fizzy taste. I agree with @lilikoi

@plethora Only once a week? What about after so and so person finishes in the restroom? :)

Purell or Germx is rough on your hands and does not remove dirt from your hands.

When you have access to soap and water during the day, use them.

It’s good for your skin to wash off the purell.

I hope that helps.

@Spinel You might have a point. I did say “at least”, but special needs can arise. But then I recall that my daddy taught me not to p** on myself…:)

I get into situations, in factories, where I switch between working on machinery and using my computer. I therefore wash my hands many times a day.

Hand sanitizer is something I almost never use. I was also wondering about the detrimental effects of over-use. Wouldn’t some types of bacteria eventually become immune? What about toxic shock syndrome? Hands are usually pretty immune to contamination but would repeated effects of exposure to anti-bacterial chemicals eventually result in absorbing them with an ultimate break down in the bodies defenses?

I know that it is unlikely, but I worry about excess in many things and still believe that moderation is usually the wisest course.

@cyndihugs ewwww, i always wondered about that. thats common sense though becuase your killing them and sorta just rubbing them around in your hand. its like a halocaust of germs and they stay there on ur hand in a mass graveyard.

@cyndihugs I hope that I am wrong. If I am not, the next great epidemic could originate from a common strain of bacteria that is easily thrown off now.