Is Hand Sanitiser Important in the Fight Against Coronavirus?

The panic buying as we headed into our first UK national lockdown was very, very real. Hand sanitiser was flying off the shelves at your local grocery stores and supermarkets. It became like gold dust. You could not get hold of it for love nor money. Hand sanitiser has been commercially available for decades, but suddenly – people were seeing it as an absolute necessity.  

Purchases of the disinfecting gel have skyrocketed in the UK ever since the first case of COVID-19 hit the country. During the last week of February 2020 hand sanitiser sales in the UK were up by 300% compared to the same week a year earlier. The following week, hand sanitiser sales shot up by 470% compared to the same week a year earlier.

Some consumers were even hoarding hand sanitiser amid the shortage, meaning online prices for the products soared. Law enforcement officials even threatened prosecution for price-gouging against third-party sellers on sites like Amazon (where an 8-ounce bottle of hand sanitiser that would normally cost $2.50 was briefly on sale for $90 before being removed by Amazon in early March 2020).

So, if there’s one thing these crazy stats show us it’s that people consider hand sanitiser to be very, very important in the fight against coronavirus.

But Does Hand Sanitiser Actually Kill Coronavirus?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have always been clear that the most effective way of fighting coronavirus is to use soap and water to wash your hands, and/or alcohol-based hand sanitiser. Specifically, they say: “Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser with at least 60% alcohol.”

Alcohol-based hand sanitisers kill germs by disrupting the membranes of various microorganisms, including many viruses. Not all viruses have external membranes and therefore hand sanitisers are ineffective for these particular viruses, such as norovirus.  But fortunately, coronavirus DOES have external membranes, which means that it is susceptible to being killed by alcohol and alcohol-based hand rubs. So yes, hand sanitisers can be a very effective tool in your kit as a method of killing coronavirus.

Should I Get Hand Sanitiser Dispensers for My Workplace?

With businesses now set to return after our third national lockdown, it’s more important than ever that we work together to keep those case numbers down. And being vigilant about our hand hygiene is the main thing we can do to reduce transmission. Now that we know that hand sanitiser not only makes people feel safe but also effectively kills coronavirus – the real question is, can you afford not to acquire hand sanitiser dispensers for your place of work?

Think about the layout of your workplace. Where is the bathroom for staff members to access soap and water for effective handwashing? How many doors do they have to go through to get there? How many door handles to they need to touch? You start to see the problem.

Soap and water might be the most effective way to kill the virus, but it’s not always readily available or convenient to get to – and as we know, we are a species of convenience.

Imagine you had a hand sanitiser dispenser positioned right at the entrance to your workplace, which was obvious to all upon entering the premises. You’re quite likely to get 100% of people entering your workspace sanitizing before they’ve touched a thing. Does that sound like the most effective way to stop coronavirus from entering the building?

At Cooleraid, our range of hand sanitisers are fully automated, meaning your staff and customers don’t even need to touch the unit. They reduce waste by having a measured dispense that is pre-set. They have a stylish appearance and can be used anywhere as they are battery operated.

Give us a call today to arrange your free trial and we’ll have you well on your way to show your customers and staff what a caring and responsible company you are in no time.