IT Partners Review - Use Sanitisers, but Which Ones?

With the rise in the 2nd wave of Corona, there's a lot of focus on the Corona related health products, which many IT businesses have begun to sell now. Sanitisers come only 2nd after face masks in this list. Right since 2020 when Corona first entered into India, people have been advised to rub sanitiser on their hands frequently, especially when they are outside. As a result, sanitisers are in great demand nowadays. But which sanitisers should be used? What should one look for while buying a sanitiser? Our IT Partners review some sanitisers here.

Quality of Good Sanitisers

The reason why sanitisers have been prescribed to fight Corona is that it was found in lab tests that Corona virus gets killed in alcohol. Since most sanitisers have an alcohol base, they are effective means to kill the virus along with other germs that might be present in our hands.

However, there are many kinds of alcohol. Besides, what should be the composition of alcohol in a good sanitiser? American online medical site Medical News Today says that an effective sanitiser should have a minimum of 60% of ethyl alcohol in order to be able to kill Corona virus. Less % than this is not effective in killing Corona. This is the first criterion to keep in mind while buying sanitisers. There are some brands in the market, which claim to kill 99.99% of the germs and which have 70-75% of ethyl alcohol. Savlon and Sceptre come under this category, both recommended by the doctors. Both are <;easant on the hand and have a strong smell of alcohol. In comparison, some sanitisers don't have such a strong smell of alcohol. In such cases, it is better to check if these sanitisers have ethyl alcohol and its % in the sanitiser.

"The hospitals are using Sceptre."

--Vikas Oberoi, Proprietor, Roshni Enterprises, New Delhi

However, there is another aspect which plays a part in buying the sanitisers. They should be cost effective. The problem with sanitisers having 70-75% of ethyl alcohol as discussed above, is that it evaporates quickly and hence, one has to use it more frequently; once after every two hours is normal. This also means that they have to be bought more frequently and the sanitisers having 70-75% of ethyl alcohol are slightly expensive. Because of this, many people can't afford them and they look for a cheaper brand. But while saving money, one should pay attention to the prescribed composition of ethyl alcohol in the sanitiser. Otherwise, the whole purpose of using a sanitiser is defeated.

IT Partners have suggested the sanitiser manufactured by Asian Paints, which is cheaper than the ones having 70-75% ethyl alcohol content.

"I have used the sanitiser from Asian Paints and found it pleasant on my hands."

--Praveen Chithapuram, Managing Partner, Vasavi Computer Academy, Vellore

However, further research showed that this sanitiser doesn't have ethyl alcohol at all. It has 66-75% of Isopropyl Alcohol. The remaining portion contains glycerol and clove oil. Hence, it's not made to the prescription of ethyl alcohol % and hence, may not be very effective. One must be careful of this aspect while purchasing sanitisers.

Sanitiser or Soap?

Some IT Partners are of the view that soap can kill the corona virus, so there is no need to use sanitiser, especially at home. It's better to use soap. This is in fact a good suggestion. But some care needs to be taken while using soap. It has been seen in studies that soap can kill Corona virus, but it's essential to rub soap on hands and form a lather for 20 seconds. This is because soap needs time to take action against the virus and kill it. If you rub soap for less than 20 seconds, it won't be effective against Corona virus.

"At home, sanitiser should not be used. Rather, soap should be used."

--Pankaj Shah, MD, TechnoPlus Systems, Mumbai

There is another problem with soap. Many people who suffer from allergies, especially those who are asthmatic, may be allergic to chemical-based soaps. They use herbal soap instead. This is fine for washing and cleaning, but it may not be effective in killing Corona virus. Hence, such people should take care and if they're allergic to soap, they should buy a sanitiser which has 70-75% of ethyl alcohol.

Soap is difficult to carry while going out. There is a solution for this. There are soap strips available in the market. These come in a bunch of fine papers, covered with a layer of soap. The paper can be made wet and the soap can be used on hands and the paper can be discarded. This is a very good and low-cost option for those who can't afford a high end sanitiser.

See more from Dr Archana Verma here.