Thread: Do you use hand sanitizer?

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Any idea which brand ?

I'm not sure but there was some blurb about it on the radio recently IIRC. I looked at the one I have and it is mainly ethyl alcohol rather than isopropyl or methyl. I've heard of worse things being consumed for a buzz, believe me.

I worked security in the public housing projects of Minneapolis in the early nineties and some of the residents would pierce a new aerosol can of Lysol spray and let it drain into a bucket of water and drink from that. Very sad. Those people were like walking brain stems and that's it. Sad.

Chris L

Originally Posted by ChrisL

I'm not sure but there was some blurb about it on the radio recently IIRC. I looked at the one I have and it is mainly ethyl alcohol rather than isopropyl or methyl. I've heard of worse things being consumed for a buzz, believe me.

I worked security in the public housing projects of Minneapolis in the early nineties and some of the residents would pierce a new aerosol can of Lysol spray and let it drain into a bucket of water and drink from that. Very sad. Those people were like walking brain stems and that's it. Sad.

Chris L

I apologize for the brief hijack .... When I was a teeny bopper sniffing airplane glue, Carbona cleaning fluid and even transmission fluid was in vogue with some kids. One in particular that I knew definitely damaged his brain from habitual use of the inhalants. The things kids do when they don't understand the consequences .... some adults too.

i think one of the saddest things about the hand sanitizers is that there are natural, alcohol free ones on the market that are more effective. i sell one in my store (though again i don't use it) for $5.99 and it is good for 225 sprays (no i'm not trying to sell anyone on it ). its a great alternative for someone who works in the health care industry.

what i would like to be able to find out is how much profit the hand sanitizer companies make off of those 8oz bottles, plus off of the public pump ones that the government has mandated be put in. that stuff can't be expensive to make.

BTW i should have clarified that in my opinion there is a place and time for hand sanitizers, i just don't think that that place and time is everyday 10 times per day and for everyone. as i stated before, i don't feel that i EVER need to use it, but thats not to say that no one does.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

My best friend's brother was a (nearly) OCD germaphobe for quite some time. He was very careful about washing his hands and such. He didn't get sick often, but when he did, he got very sick. And no one else around him, not even his family, got very sick when he did. Nothing like that had ever happened to him before (where he got very sick but his family did not). While it is not very strong evidence, nor is it scientific, I believe that it was because the lack of exposure to bacteria and the like weakened his immune system and left him more susceptible to bugs that a normal immune system would be able to fight off without incident.

Interestingly, it seems that all parties concerned experience the same amount of "sick," it's just a question of duration and severity. Personally, I think I'd rather be a bit under the weather for a while than incapacitated for a few days.

I was in the regularly incapacitated sick category prior to washing my hands a ton and using the sanitizer. I would be the only one sick many times and I'd get sick EVERY time someone else in my family did. Since, I've not gotten very sick at all, but when I did it's not been severe. Additionally, my whole family has gotten sick on several occasions and I haven't lately. I know that's jinxed now. Like you said, it's far from scientific, but I'm happier now than I used to be.

I only use it on rare occasions, there is just no substitute for good old Hot water and soap!

Originally Posted by ChrisL

I only use it occasionally when a customer looking like walking death comes in and complains about how sick they are and they hand over money, etc and touch the doorknob.
Chris L

DON'T TAKE THEIR MONEY UNLESS YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH! INSTEAD, TELL 'EM TO SEND IT TO ME IF THEY REALLY NEED TO PART WITH THEIR MONEY!

Originally Posted by Kees

DON'T TAKE THEIR MONEY UNLESS YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH! INSTEAD, TELL 'EM TO SEND IT TO ME IF THEY REALLY NEED TO PART WITH THEIR MONEY!

I saw a news report years ago where they lab tested paper money for germs and what have you. Some of it had traces of fecal matter among other things and guess what .... cocaine. They recommended that if you were handling money you should wash your hands afterwards.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I saw a news report years ago where they lab tested paper money for germs and what have you. Some of it had traces of fecal matter among other things and guess what .... cocaine. They recommended that if you were handling money you should wash your hands afterwards.

Oh come now, Jimmy, you don't think the rich use toilet paper, do you???

Chris L

I don't use it as much as I did before however while I was working in law Enforcement I also kept plenty in the car and we had loads in the office and I used it many times a day. They have good stuff that contains moisturizers and does not dry your skin out.

I ride an overly crowded train to and from work and am often required to shake hands. I found that I would often get sick and that at times I would go through several different 'bugs' consecutively.

Here in Japan the protocols to combat H1N1 are masks, hand sanitizer and gargle solutions. I have found that using the hand sanitizer alone has given me a 9 month window of sickness free health. So to with my two kids who are at play school weekdays. Niether have come down with anything for months. (we only make sure they have washed their hands when they get home at night.)

Hand washing is a must and if you can't, hand sanitizer seems to do it for me. I am not mysophobic but I think that simple precautions like hand sanitizer is appropriate.