Sanitizing little hands naturally
I’ve never been a big fan of hand sanitizers. The dirt just gets rubbed around, and the germs get zapped with a bunch of chemicals. I’ll just use soap, thank you very much. But with the swine flu, or H1N1 virus, hovering around, I admit I’ve resorted to slathering some of the stuff on when water wasn’t handy, even though it did leave me smelling like I’d had a three martini lunch. But when it comes to my kids, I really hate the idea of smearing them with rubbing alcohol and chemicals, so I’ve been exploring some natural alternatives.
Dancing Willow Herbs carries an antiseptic spray that contains lavender, peppermint, rosemary and tea. It does contain alcohol but you’d never guess it from the smell. It goes for about $10 a bottle.
Nature’s Oasis said they carry several different natural hand sanitizers. Durango Natural Foods doesn’t presently carry any but were inclined to consider it. I’m not sure about Natural Grocers but plan to swing by there later to check it out.
There’s also many options that can be ordered online. The one I found most frequently cited is CleanWell, which claims to kill 99.99 percent of harmful germs on contact with no toxic chemicals. Another, Clean George, touts all organic or natural ingredients and no alcohol. Instead it relies on the germ-fighting properties of peppermint, tea tree and manuka oils.
Or you can make your own. According to this New York Times article, cinnamon oil has been proven effective against fighting germs. A pediatrician quoted in the article extols the effectiveness of “thieves oil,” a blend of clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus and rosemary. The combination is so-named because it was said to have been discovered in the Middle Ages by graverobbers who used it to ward off the bubonic plague while completing their dasterdly deeds.
In the end, soap and water is still the most non-toxic, effective method out there for fighting germs, but it’s nice to have some natural alternatives in a pinch. (A detailed Q&A on this topic can be found on this “Green Living” blog).
Tags: Health, natural sanitizer, swine flu
This entry was posted on Monday, October 26th, 2009 at 10:38 am. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
October 26th, 2009 at 12:15 pm
Tom M says:Katie,
While I agree with you in theory, you should really be tryig to educate people on what to look for and how to do things right rather than just doing it. I am trying to teach my 8 year old that she has to do things right or she really isn’t doing it at all. Brushing her teeth and washing her hands are a couple of small things she is working on.
As for hand sanitizers, be careful about what you get. Many hand cleaners lack the chemicals necessary to kill viruses on your hands effectively. Ethyl Alcohol and Benzalkonium chloride, also known as alkyldimethylbenzylammonium chloride and ADBAC are the ones that are best at killing viruses IF they are used properly and IF they are in the right concentration. They are in many things most likely already in your house. These are much easier to use properly than washing with soap and water and can be very convenient when at your desk or coming in from a playground.
I’m not sure I want to trust my family to peppermint and lavender this flu season.
Check out what the CDC says about how to wash your hands. Are you and your family doing it right?
October 26th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Leslie says:We use the clean well you mentioned above. I have used it since last winter and really like it. You can find it at Target in Farmington.
I would like to say though, that we use it immediately after leaving stores, playgrounds, etc. It is something I use on my kids for extra protection from the store to the house. However, as soon as we get to a place with soap and water we wash our hands. I agree with making sure that you wash your hands properly, and keeping your fingers and hands out of your mouth, nose, and eyes. Although with little ones that is a lot easier said than done!
October 27th, 2009 at 8:53 am
Kid Row says:Tom, I don’t doubt that these chemicals are effective and that’s why the CDC recommends them. But little is known about the effects of long-term exposure (especially on kiddos). Concerns have been raised, for instance, about the potential for Benzalkonium chloride to contribute to the generation of drug-resistant “super bugs.”
This is from an acedemic paper (named below): “Bacteria emerging with resistance to these chemicals can show decreased susceptibility to antibiotics. A Japanese group reported a few years ago that MRSA selected in the laboratory for half the susceptibility to a biocide, benzalkonium chloride, showed a dramatic increase in resistance to a wide spectrum of ß-lactam antibiotics.” (From “The Resistance Phenomenon in Microbes and Infectious Disease Vectors”)
BC also is suspected to have toxic effects for the respiratory and immune systems. (http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/ingredient.php?ingred06=700674¬hanks=1)
In the end, I think it’s a balance between the short-term and long-term dangers. Each parent decides for themselves what balance is right. I tend to lean toward the precautionary principle, commonly used by European policy makers, which calls for restraint until we know all the consequences. In the U.S. I think we tend to err on the side of rushing the product to market and evaluate the long-term effect later.
December 2nd, 2009 at 9:07 am
ostrov says:Thank you,
very interesting article