Hand-Sanitizing Gels Kill Germs

Sept. 30, 2004 -- To prevent the spread of germs that cause stomach and respiratory illnesses in your home this winter, put hand-sanitizing gels in plain sight around the house. With germs, the gels really kick butt, new research shows.

The hand-sanitizing gels are different from antibacterial soap. The soap must be used with water, unlike the gel. And though antibacterial soaps are marketed to kill bacteria, research has shown that they only reduce bacteria and other microbes -- and they are no more effective at doing so than non-bacterial soap.

In this newest study, families using sanitizing gels suffered 60% fewer stomach illnesses from germs that spread from ill family members compared with homes where hand sanitizers were not used.

The findings will be presented at this week's Infectious Diseases Society of America annual meeting.

"This is the first randomized trial to show that hand sanitizers reduce the spread of germs in the home," says lead researcher Thomas J. Sandora, MD, MPH, an infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital Boston and an instructor of pediatrics at Harvard Medical School, in a news release.

"Using hand sanitizers is an excellent method for hand hygiene and can be an alternative to soap and water, particularly when a sink isn't convenient," he explains.

Sandora's five-month study involved 292 families in Boston -- all with children under 5 years old in childcare for more than 10 hours a week. Half the families used the gels, and half didn't. They put the gel bottles around the house, including in bathrooms, kitchens, and baby rooms, and used it at appropriate times -- after using the toilet, after diaper changes, before preparing food, and other times.

Researchers checked with the families every two weeks to see who was sick.

When a family member brought home a stomach bug, families using the sanitizing gels had 59% fewer infections among other family members compared with families not using the gels, reports Sandora.

But the number of colds was not significantly decreased in families using the gels.

"We believe hand sanitizers reduce the transmission of the cold and other respiratory illnesses in the home, too, although the evidence wasn't as strong as it was for stopping spread of [stomach germs]," he says.

People with germs that caused stomach illnesses were probably more diligent about using the sanitizers -- especially after using the bathroom or vomiting. After nose-wiping or sneezing, the cold-related symptoms, they probably didn't think to use the sanitizers.