OMG SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT: Hand sanitizers DO NOT kill viruses, including H1N1 (swine flu), regular flu, and the common cold.
You still need to wash your hands. I am starting to get really grossed out by the idea that everyone thinks Purell is an appropriate substitution for hand washing.
If you have been handling poop or raw chicken, then sanitizers are great. Otherwise, please get to a sink! (Source)
@Danny – regarding your statement that Purell does kill some viruses, neither the comments nor the article says anything of the sort. One comment states that a certain variety of virus is susceptible to alcohol. That does NOT mean that the virus is killed. The very article itself states that it makes the environment inhospitable to viruses, but in NO WAY does it kill a virus. It only kills bacteria!
Everyone just keep WASHING YOUR HANDS!
And thanks, Frank, for posting this. The overdependency on Purell, especially during this ridiculous swine flu craze, drives me insane. Slathering some alcohol on your hands is NOT a substitution for a good hand washing. Gross.
Read the comments on that page – Purell does INDEED kill the viruses you mention in your post, with the exception of Hepatitis A and some enteroviruses, and even then, if you leave the sanitizer on long enough and slather on enough, you should be good.
@Kari, are you for real? The human body is covered in dead and living bacteria, so unless you cremate yourself, consider yourself a hospitable host to lots of tiny creepy crawlies. And brand-name Purell does not leave sticky residue — try it and you’ll see.
Thank you!
Besides, Purell makes your hands sticky and even if it killed them, you’ll still be walking around with heaps of dead bacteria on your hands and somehow, that’s still gross.