Hand Sanitiser vs Soap: When to Use Which and How to Wash Hands Properly

Hand washing is one of the cheapest and most effective ways to prevent illness, yet many people are confused about whether a quick squirt of sanitiser is as good as soap and water. Sanitiser is convenient. Soap is more thorough. The best choice depends on where you are and how dirty your hands are.

This guide explains when to use soap, when sanitiser is fine, how to wash your hands properly, what to look for on the label, and how to keep your skin from drying out.

Why hand hygiene matters

Our hands touch doors, phones, money, food and faces all day. Germs travel from hands to the mouth, nose and eyes, and cause colds, flu, diarrhoea, typhoid, hepatitis A and many other infections. Regular hand washing lowers the risk of stomach and breathing infections, and it protects children and the elderly the most. It also helps reduce the spread of antibiotic-resistant germs.

Soap and water or sanitiser?

Soap and water is better when:

• Your hands are visibly dirty, greasy or sticky.
• You have used the toilet, or changed a diaper.
• Before preparing or eating food.
• After handling raw meat, chicken or eggs.
• After coming home from outside, a crowded market or public transport.
• After caring for someone who is sick, with diarrhoea or vomiting.
• After touching animals, rubbish or soil.

Soap lifts dirt and germs off the skin, and running water rinses them away. Some germs, including the viruses that cause stomach bugs and some bacteria that cause severe diarrhoea, are not killed well by sanitiser, so soap is the only safe choice in those cases.

Sanitiser is fine when:

• You are on the move and there is no soap or clean water.
• Your hands are not visibly dirty.
• Between patients, customers or tasks, in clinics, shops and offices.
• Before touching a baby, if you cannot wash.

Alcohol-based sanitisers kill many germs quickly when used correctly, but they do not remove dirt or chemicals.

How to wash your hands properly

1. Wet your hands with clean running water.
2. Apply soap, and lather the palms, backs of the hands, between the fingers, around the thumbs and under the nails.
3. Rub for at least twenty seconds. That is about as long as singing happy birthday twice.
4. Rinse well under running water.
5. Dry with a clean towel or paper towel. Damp hands pick up germs faster.
6. Use the towel or your elbow to turn off the tap in a public place.

Bar soap and liquid soap work equally well, as long as the bar is kept dry and the dispenser is clean. Products such as Dettol Soap, Dettol Fresh Soap and Dettol Cool Soap are popular antibacterial soaps. Plain soap is just as effective for everyday washing, but antibacterial soap is a good choice in homes with new babies or sick family members.

How to use a hand sanitiser

1. Check that it contains at least 60 per cent alcohol, such as ethanol or isopropanol.
2. Apply enough to cover all hand surfaces. Pea-sized amounts are too little.
3. Rub the palms, backs, between the fingers and under the nails.
4. Keep rubbing until your hands are completely dry, which takes about twenty seconds.
5. Do not wipe or rinse it off.

An example is Dettol Hand Sanitizer. Look through our hygiene range for more soaps, sanitisers and handwash.

Sanitiser safety

• Keep it out of reach of young children, who may swallow it. Alcohol poisoning can be serious in small children, so supervise their use.
• It is flammable. Let it dry before cooking, lighting a stove or going near a flame.
• Do not use it on deep cuts or burns, or near the eyes.
• Do not make sanitiser at home from unknown recipes. The strength and the ingredients may be wrong.
• Do not rely on it in the kitchen when your hands are greasy.

Looking after your skin

Washing and sanitising often can dry the skin, making it crack and sore, and cracked skin lets germs in. In winter this is even more common.

• Use lukewarm water, not very hot.
• Pat hands dry instead of rubbing.
• Apply a moisturiser after washing and before bed.
• Choose a mild soap, especially if you have eczema. Our guide to winter dry skin care has more tips.
• See a doctor if the skin is red, itchy, bleeding or blistered, which may be dermatitis.

Teaching children

• Make hand washing a habit before meals, after play and after the toilet.
• Use songs or timers so that they wash for twenty seconds.
• Keep a small sanitiser for school bags, with teacher supervision.
• Cut their nails short, because germs hide under long nails.

When hand hygiene matters most

• During flu and cold season. See our guide to flu season in Pakistan.
• After floods and monsoon rains, when waterborne infections spread. Read about waterborne diseases.
• In homes with typhoid, hepatitis A or diarrhoea. See typhoid fever in Pakistan.
• When caring for a baby, an elderly relative or someone with a weak immune system.
• In your home first aid kit routine, before treating a wound.

Frequently asked questions

Is antibacterial soap better than plain soap?

For everyday use, plain soap and good technique work as well. Antibacterial soap can help in special situations, such as around sick people.

Does hand sanitiser kill all germs?

No. It is less effective on dirty hands, and against some germs. Soap and water remain the gold standard.

How often should I wash my hands?

Whenever they are dirty, and at the key moments: before eating or cooking, after the toilet, after coming home, and after sneezing, coughing or blowing your nose.

Is it harmful to use sanitiser too often?

It is not harmful, but it can dry and irritate the skin. A moisturiser helps.

Order soaps, sanitisers and hygiene essentials from Khasmart, with delivery across Pakistan.

This article is for general information and is not a substitute for advice from your doctor or pharmacist. It does not include dosage; always follow the directions on the pack.