A Case Against Alcohol Gel Hand Sanitizers Microsan™rx Foaming Hand Sanitizer Vs. Purell®

Pfizers Frequently Asked Questions About Purell From Their Website - www.pfizerch.com Purell® FAQ Answer - Red Microsan™ Comments – Blue Microsan™ FHS Benefits - Green

How does Purell® work? The Purell® product is a refreshing instant hand sanitizer that kills 99.99% of most common germs that may cause disease. Alcohol is the only part of the alcohol based products that is active. It is only active for less than 10 seconds. Microsanrx contains a high technology, patent pending, formulation that uses three USP grade ingredients (anti-microbial agent, surfactant, alcohol 14%) and pH to effectively denature microbial proteins and denature metabolic pathway enzymes.

How do I use Purell® products? Thoroughly wet hands with product. Rub hands together briskly until dry. No rinsing required. No towels needed. The recommendation of the CDC is that recurrent use of alcohol based gel hand sanitizers is not recommended without adequate hand washing between uses. The reason for this is that gels leave a biofilm on skin surfaces that trap dirt and potentially pathogenic organisms. Effectiveness decreases with added use and alcohol based products are ineffective with the third use without washing your hands. MIcrosanrx not only kill over 100 tested bacteria, viruses, yeast and mild but also effectively removes dirt from your hands without leaving a biofilm.

How can I tell that the Purell® instant hand sanitizer is working? Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer works as the alcohol evaporates The evaporation time for applied Purell is less than 10 seconds with a nickel size dose. This dwell time is inadequate for consistant and proper antimicrobial action. Microsanrx leaves a layer of germ killing ingredients that continues to kill for 4 hours. This is truly a glove of protection.

Is Purell® a soap? No. Purell® is an Instant Hand Sanitizer designed to kill germs on the hands when soap and water are unavailable. Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer can also be used after hand washing to kill germs that may remain after soap-and-water hand washing. Most protocols for hand hygiene require that you do not rely on alcohol based gel hand sanitizers like Purell® for repeated use without hand washing. Purell® will not work in the presence of organic soil and it does not contain surfactants to remove the soil so the alcohol will work. Microsanrx contains a surfactant/alcohol/pH system that enhances the antimicrobial agent in the system for a rapid, effective kill.

How does Purell® instant hand sanitizer compare to antibacterial soap? Purell® is not soap. Alcohol is more efficacious and faster acting against bacteria than Triclosan or Chloroxylenol, other leading antimicrobial active ingredients. Soaps require rinsing and drying. Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer evaporates rapidly, without the need for water or towels. CDC and FDA and anyone in the know states that hand washing with antimicrobials soaps is preferable to alcohol based gel hand sanitizers. There is very little data published to support the Purell® statement that alcohol in a gel system works well and kills instantly.. Microsanrx contains a surfactant system that breaks down the dirt on your hands to allow the active ingredients kill. This system is comparable to hand washing without water.

Can Purell® instant hand sanitizer be used between hand washing? Yes. Purell® is a sanitizer, not a cleaner; meaning that it will kill germs, but will not remove dirt, grease, or grime off hands. With the third use, alcohol gel products become inefficient and your hands need to be washed. Dirt, grease and grime inactivate the alcohol in the gel system. Microsanrx can be used as often as necessary. It leaves no biofilms, continuously cleans and leaves a deposition of germ killing ingredients that continue for up to 4 hours. Use every four hours will protect you all day. Heavy contamination requires more frequent application. Wash you hands after using the restroom and before you eat.

How long after I use the Purell® instant hand sanitizer does it kill germs? Purell® products have no residual germ-killing effect. Purell® products kill germs on contact, but once it has evaporated, the germ-killing action has stopped. The wet dwell time for Purell is less than 10 seconds and it is doubtful that Purell kills on contact. This time is inadequate to kill many pathogenic bacterial, enveloped and non enveloped viruses. The Microsanrx System leaves a deposition of germ killing ingredients that continue to prevent the re-colonization of microorganisms for up to 4 hours. Alcohol does not have this residual protection.

How can Purell® instant hand sanitizer help to protect you? Since over 80% of all infectious illnesses are spread by the hands, effective hand hygiene with products like Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer can prevent illness. (Purell® kills 99.99% of most common germs that may cause illness). Hand hygiene is recognized by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) as the single most important means of preventing the spread of infection. Effective hand hygiene kills germs that are easily spread by hands. No clinical studies could be found in any of the medical data bases (Medline or Pubmed) that show that less than 10 seconds is an adequate dwell time for alcohol based gel products like Purell. If you use the ASTM test standard with pathogenic organisms you will find that it is not. Pfizer does not publish Purell's efficacy list of product sensitive organisms. It relies on historical data for pure ethanol products without a gel base. Microsanrx has been clinically proven to kill over 100 different species of bacteria, virus, yeast and mold including antibiotic resistant bacteria.

How often should I use Purell® instant hand sanitizer? Purell® products are formulated with moisturizers so that you can use them as often as you like. You may use Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer before eating meals on the run, after sneezing, before and after changing a baby's diaper, after grocery shopping, after taking public transportation, or anytime. Purell® products make good hand hygiene easy, and that helps you stay well. Since Purell and other alcohol gel products have no residual germ killing protection, you will pick potentially pathogenic organisms as soon as the alcohol dries. For some protection, alcohol based hand sanitizer need to be used every 5 minutes when in a dirty environment. Remember, studies have shown that with the third use, alcohol gel based products without a hand wash with soap and water are ineffective in killing re-colonized germs. Soil also inactivates the effects of alcohol. Since Microsanrx cleans as it sanitizes, there is no inactivation by organic soil so you can use it as often as you would like.

Can Purell® instant hand sanitizer be used between handwashing? Yes. Purell® is a sanitizer, not a cleaner; meaning that it will kill germs, but will not remove dirt, grease, or grime off hands. With the third use, alcohol gel products become inefficient and your hands need to be washed. Microsanrx Can be used as often as necessary. It leaves no biofilms, continuously cleans and leaves a deposition of germ killing ingredients that continue for 4 hours. Use every four hours will protect you all day. Heavy contamination requires more frequent application. Microsanrx can be used to remove dirt and grease by using an excess application and drying with a cloth or paper napkin. No other product makes this claim.

What germs does Purell® instant hand sanitizer kill What germs does Purell® instant hand sanitizer kill? What is it not effective against? Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer is effective against a wide variety of organisms including E. coli, Staphylococcus sp., Streptococcus sp., Salmonella sp. at > 99.99%. To meet the FDA OTC drug monograph for hand sanitizers, you must be able to kill the above organisms. Most alcohol based gel product studies done to meet this requirement were done with pure alcohol, without the gel base and without the presence of organic soil. They don’t tell you what it won’t kill. Microsanrx Foaming Hand Sanitizer was tested using the complete product against a variety of multi-antibiotic resistant bacteria, viruses, yeast and mold using actual clinical isolates when possible. Also tested in the presence of 5% bovine serum albumin to simulate blood contamination or organic soil.

Does Purell® instant hand sanitizer kill the good and bad germs? Yes, however, because Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer has no residual antimicrobial activity, the natural flora left in the skin will resurface and repopulate quickly. Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer does eliminate some good germs while it gets rid of bad germs. So does washing with soap and water. We really don't know what Purell kills. They always talk in general terms. Microsanrx Foaming Hand Sanitizer has been tested on over 100 different bacteria, viruses, yeast and mold in the presence of 5% serum. See the Microsanrx efficacy list.

Does Purell® instant hand sanitizer contribute to antimicrobial resistance? No, because alcohol evaporates completely, there is no alcohol left behind to promote adaptation. Alcohol has been used in health care for many years with minimal adverse effects. Microsanrx does not contribute to microbial resistance because of its quick mode of action. If organisms can not reproduce, they can't develop resistance genes. We know of no organisms that have developed resistance to the Microsanrx Foaming Hand Sanitizer System.

How does alcohol work? Alcohol works by denaturing proteins. Purell will not work in the presence organic soil (dirt or grease). This is why they tell you to wash your hands often. Microsanrx was developed to solvate soil and grease so the Microsanrx Quad Technology™ system will kill quickly and effectively.

Are there any "side effects" to using Purell® products? No side effects as a result of using Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer have been reported. As with all drugs, you should use Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer only as directed. Should be kept away from children, smokers and those with alcohol dependence. The denatured alcohol is a poison and is flammable. Microsanrx has no known side effects.

Why do the instructions on the Purell® label say "keep out of reach of children"? All Purell® formulas are classified as Over The Counter (OTC) drugs and, therefore, are subject to labeling requirements of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These requirements include putting "Keep out of the reach of children" on the package. This warning helps ensure that parents explain to children how to use the product properly. This labeling is an FDA requirement for all OTC drugs. It is a precaution found on many products. It does not mean "do not use on children," but is a precaution so that children do not mishandle the product. Although Purell can be used on children, Purell is flammable and caution should be used around children. Microsanrx is an FDA regulated OTC drug product. Microsanrx is non-flammable and safe.

How many times can Purell® instant hand sanitizer be used before washing hands? Purell® products can be used to disinfect hands whenever they are not visibly soiled and can be used repeatedly. There is no need to wash hands between uses, unless they become visibly soiled or come in contact with bloodborne pathogens or body fluids. Alcohol based hand sanitizers do no work in the presence of organic soil. Any small amount of organic soil renders the alcohol ineffective. Microsanrxhas been tested in the presence of 5% bovine serum albumin to simulate bloodborne contamination. Microsanrx kills in the presence of organic soil.

Does Purell® instant hand sanitizer leave a residue? No, Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer leaves no harmful residue. Hands are left feeling soft and refreshed. a small bit of emollient (skin conditioning agent) is left on the hands after use. Purell's emollient and gel ingredients leave a dirt and microorganism attracting biofilm residue. This biofilm inhibits the ability of alcohol to denature proteins with repeated use. Microsanrx uses patent pending “Quad Technology” that not only disinfects but cleans dirt and grease at the same time.

Is there a problem with Purell® instant hand sanitizer staining floors? Because alcohol is a solvent (Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer contains 62% Ethyl Alcohol), it can dissolve floor wax and leave a dull or discolored spot if dripped on the floor. In certain situations, product may be "splashed" onto the floor from the user's hands as it is being rubbed in. If Purell can dissolve commercial floor wax, imagine what it will do to the lipids in your skin cells. Microsanrx contains no ingredients that will effect floor finishes or your hands.

Is Purell® instant hand sanitizer flammable? Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer is flammable but requires a flame, spark, or other ignition source. Purell® products are safe when used, handled, and stored as directed. Any open flame or ignition source will cause Purell to burn much like Sterno®. Even though the alcohol used in Purell contains a denaturant, there have been cases where alcohol addicted persons have injested the product. Also using an alcohol based hand sanitizer while smoking is extremely dangerous and has caused severe burns. Microsanrx is completely non-flammable

Is Purell® instant hand sanitizer toxic? Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer is not toxic if used properly. Denatured alcohol at 62% can be flammable and a poison. Microsanrx Foaming Hand Sanitizer is non-toxic and safe when used as directed

Will Purell® instant hand sanitizer affect jewelry? Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer will not affect gold or silver, but may affect some costume jewelry. Alcohol effects many materials used to make jewelry. Microsanrx will not affect jewelry.

Is it FDA approved? Purell® Instant Hand Sanitizer does meet the requirements in the FDA's Tentative Final Monograph for Topical Antimicrobial Products and the FDA's Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) requirements are followed. Microsanrx Foaming Hand Sanitizer is regulated under the FDA tentative final monograph and is manufactured under strict cGMP manufacturing. Microsanrx exceeds the minimum (8) number of organisms that have to be tested and has tested over 100 in the presence of 5% bovine serum albumin to simulate human blood proteins and organic soil..