You know the ones. Hand gels, air fresheners, disinfectants, all these things that proudly boast on the label they destroy 99.9% of all germs including pathogens and viruses. Ever so often I go through a phase of buying these products only to fall ill with the common cold, respiratory infections, tonsillitis or flu.

So what the actual Hell is going on. Well all the while we wash our hand with soap and water, we are removing germs and pathogens anyway so long as we rinse and dry our hands properly. The bacterial hand washes also do but they take away the good bacteria that coats our skin as a first defence protective barrier against the bad. This creates a completely clean slate for the bad to cover us much easier before generating more good, then when we touch our faces or eat with our hands they’re given a free ticket to make us ill. Stick to soap and water unless otherwise instructed or you work in the medical sector.

So when else is it ok to use these things? Well keep all your surfaces clean in the home but wear gloves to keep that all important good bacteria safe. Use the air fresheners in rooms that won’t be in use for a while to cleanse airborne pathogens. (Bedrooms in the day, Lounge at night etc)

In the meantime, remember to stay clear of that antibac hand gel and use good old soap and water.

https://amp.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/sep/12/should-i-stop-using-antibacterial-handwash-and-gels