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By Kelly Roper
Hand sanitizers can remove germs from your hands when you use these products as they are
intended to be used. The question is, are they as safe and effective as people think they are?
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Avoid using instant sanitizers whenever possible, and opt for regular hand washing instead.
Use only a dime-sized amount of sanitizer; too much liquid may not evaporate quickly and
could be licked off fingers or palms.
Supervise children while using sanitizers to ensure they rub their hands until completely
dry, and store the sanitizer out of their reach.
Samuel S. Epstein ♂, MD and Professor Emeritus at the University of Illinois School of Public
Health, Chicago, points out other concerns about Triclosan:
Triclosan persists in the environment and is one of the top 10 contaminents found in U.S.
waterways.
The chemical has been identified as a contaminent in umbilical chord samples, and it has
also been identified in breast milk.
Triclosan reacts with chlorinated water to produce chloroform gas.
Furthermore, M. Angela McGhee, Ph.D. ♂, Biology and Marine Sciences, warns that Triclosan is
actually classed as a pesticide by the U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency. Dr. McGhee
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maintains that Triclosan is a chlorophenol, and chlorophenols possibly cause cancer in people.
Despite these concerns, Triclosan still has FDA approval for use in hand sanitizer. Sub
To reduce the risk of transferring viruses and other infectious agents, wash your hands
thoroughly with soap and hot water. Only rely on hand sanitizers when you have no other
alternative.
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Only use instant sanitizers when it is not possible to wash your hands conventionally.
Just buy small bottles of sanitizers to limit your use.
Use instant products only on the hands and not on other parts of the body.
To avoid a fire hazard, never use alcohol-based sanitizer near a heat source or an open flame.
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