Are hand sanitizers better than handwashing against the common cold?

March 24, 2010

By hammersmith

[Source: ScienceDaily] – A new study suggests that hand sanitizers containing ethanol are much more effective at removing rhinovirus from hands than washing with soap and water. Sanitizers containing both ethanol and organic acids significantly reduced recovery of the virus from hands and rhinovirus infection up to 4 hours following application.

The researchers from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville and Dial Corporation, Scottsdale, Arizona detail their findings in the March 2010 issue of the journal Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy.

For more information: Are Hand Sanitizers Better Than Handwashing Against the Common Cold?