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Why Sanitizers Work But Hand Washing Works Better

Sanitizers Vs. Hand Washing

Is it sanitizer vs. washing hands? With the deadly outbreak of coronavirus, everyone is sharing basic preventative measures, wearing a mask, avoiding physical contact, staying at home, and most importantly washing hands.

Hands are the part of the body that we utilize the most to make contact with other people, objects, and ourselves. Think about how often you mindlessly touch your face in a day.

So, while head to toe hygiene is a high priority for everyone, there is an incredibly strong focus now on keeping hands clean when it comes to preventing the spread of disease-carrying germs.

Attack Of Germs On Hands

Attack of germs on hand

The coronavirus that has caused Covid-19 is one of many viruses whose protective outer surface is made up of Lipid bilayer. These lipids are pin-shaped molecules whose hands are attracted to water, and tails are repulsed by it. So, in water-rich environments, lipids naturally form a shell in an oval shape with the heads outside and tails inside.

Their shared reaction with water makes the lipids stick loosely together – this is called the hydrophobic effect.

How does hand washing help to get rid of viruses and bacteria?

benefits of hand wash over hand sanitizer

The grime on our hands contains innumerable viruses and bacteria. Soap molecules are pin-shaped with the head that is water-loving and the tail that is oil-loving. This outer structure helps the virus’s molecular machinery breakthrough cellular membranes and hijack our cells. But it has thousands of weak points where the right molecule could pry it apart. And this is where the soap and hand washing comes in. Don’t let the situation go that high to use fogger machines. Take all the preventive measures.

Capabilities of soap

A single drop of soap of any brand contains quadrillions of molecules called amphiphiles, which resemble biological lipids.

The tail of the soap, which is similarly repulsed by water, competes for space with the lipids that make up the virus’s shell. But they are just different enough to break up the regularity of the virus’s membrane.

Those amphiphiles then make a bubble of their own around particles, including the virus’s RNA and proteins. Apply water, and you will wash that whole bubble away.

How does hand sanitizer work?

Hand sanitizers work less like a crowbar and more like an earthquake. When you surround a virus with water, the hydrophobic effect gives the bonds within the membrane their strength. The same effect also holds the big proteins that form coronavirus’s spikes in place and in the shape that enables them to infect your cells.

If you dry the virus out in the air, it will keep its stability. But, if you surround the virus by hand sanitizer of high concentration of alcohol, this will make the hydrophobic effect disappear and give the molecule room to move around.

The overall effect is like removing all the nails and mortar from the house and hitting it with an earthquake. The cell’s membrane collapses, and those spike protein crumble.

How to use soap and sanitizers on your hand

In either method, the actual process of destroying the virus happens in just a second or two. But, doctors recommend at least 20 seconds of hand-washing because of the intricate landscape that is your hand. Soap and sanitizer need to get everywhere, including your fingertips, palm, the outsides of your hands, and between your hands to protect you adequately.

why hand wash is better than hand sanitizer?

Why does soap work better than hand sanitizer?

When we lather up our mitts with soap and water, soap releases amphiphiles that work as emulsifiers. The virus and the bacteria that got stuck onto your hand, the emulsifying properties of soap, will provide proper agitation, helping you wash away that disease-causing germs.

On the other hand, there is no such sort of property in hand sanitizer, and thus, hand-sanitizer will only work when it has an alcohol concentration of more than 60 percent. Also, on continuous use, the hand sanitizer forms a layer on the debris of our skin, which can even cause harmful effects on our skin like the closing of sweet releasing glands leading to dead skin.

Of course, hand sanitizer is more convenient to use on the go like disinfectants and wipes. In the absence of a sink, use the hand sanitizer as thoroughly as possible and rub your hands together until they are dry.

Now, that you know the difference. Choose your medium to live a germ-free life wisely!

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