What Causes a Sanitizer to Not Work Well?

We live in a world tied down with the pandemic, scarcity of water, and the need for maintaining hygiene to keep the virus at bay. In such times, bacterial hand sanitizers have emerged as the solution to all these problems.

Before the pandemic, almost half of the common population were ignorant of what does sanitizing do? (except for those in the medical profession). Now, it’s less a question of what it does and more a question of ‘does hand sanitization work?’

Well, let’s just say this: Hand sanitizers have been proven as the second-best substitute to washing hands with soap and water. Sanitizing yourself after coming in contact with surfaces others touch can kill up to 99% of germs.

Previously, we’ve talked about Dos and Don’ts of hand sanitizers to give you a general idea about how best to use them. But even if you are following the guidelines, there are no specific criteria for hand sanitizers malfunctioning.

There are more than a few reasons what causes a sanitizer to not work well. But before we go deeper into the reasons, make sure you have a proper hand sanitizer.

At Queen Industries, we keep the best hand sanitizers in stock. Known to kill 99.9% of germs, we have hand sanitizers in various sizes according to quantity.

Now that you know where to buy from, let’s shed light on the current one you have and what’s causing it to work ineffectively.

What Causes a Sanitizer to Not Work Well?

The effectiveness of sanitizer depends upon several factors and if it’s being used according to the instructions.

Given that you’re following the guidelines, the reasons can include:

Temperature Shift

Generally, sanitizers work properly in temperatures between 75Fand 120F. The higher the temperature, the higher chances there are of the chlorine compounds to corrode metal items.

In some cases, chlorine and iodine compounds may leave the solutions entirely, causing the sanitizer to lose efficacy.

pH

Since hand sanitizers are alcohol-based, the optimal pH is between 6.5 to 7.5. So, if the levels exceed more than 8, it transforms into an alkaline medium, losing its effectiveness in killing microorganisms.

That means a good sanitizer can either be neutral (pH 7) or carrying a pH of less than 8.

The Concentration of Alcoholic Solution

There’s a long and meticulous process behind sanitizer making. All constitute its effectiveness, especially the concentration of the agent.

Professional hand sanitizer manufacturers know proper concentration is critical. For a sanitizer to work ineffectively, the concentration must be balanced. That means if it’s too high, the sanitizer can turn toxic, or in some cases, even poisonous.

If the concentration is below the required amount, it can result in a failure to sanitize.

So, what do manufacturing companies do to monitor the sanitizing solution regularly?

Well, at Queen Industries, we use proper strip tests to calculate the sanitizer’s concentration. Doing this helps us develop the best quality sanitizers either in bulk or individual quantity. In turn, you can get your hands on sanitizers that will continue working as they should.

If you’re looking to buy high-quality hand sanitizers, you’re at the right place. Queen Industries care about the type of sanitizer that touches your hand. That’s why we use skin-natural nutrients and naturally derived alcohol. Besides that, we use 100% recycled plastic bottles to promote a clean, green, and healthy environment.

Contact Time

When applying a hand sanitizer, you want to be sure that it’s going to work instantly.

Imagine applying a sanitizer and waiting for 30 minutes for it to do its job!

Maybe you think it’s too far-stretched for us to say 30 minutes, or you might be thinking, ‘does hand sanitizer work?’

To lay it out in the open, a proper one does, given how much attention manufacturers have given to contact time.

Contact time is one of the most significant factors to consider when choosing a sanitizer (or any disinfectant).

Contact time, or ‘wet time’ determines how long a disinfectant needs to stay wet on a surface to work effectively.

A common hand sanitizer has a wet time of 15-20 seconds. That means you have to rub your hands with a sanitizer for that amount of time before it evaporates.

A gentle reminder on how you can sanitize properly:

• Apply sanitizer on all surfaces of your hand, including ‘wrists and in between the fingers.
• Rub thoroughly for 20 seconds at least.

Caution: Do not wash, wipe, or rub sanitizer before the allotted time, or you won’t be able to achieve the desired results.

Sanitizer age

Like any other product, hand sanitizers carry an expiration date. If you’ve allowed your sanitizer to sit on the counter for well over its expiration date, that is another simple answer to what causes a hand sanitizer to not work well.

Typically, hand sanitizers have an expiry date of 2-3 years. They might retain some of their effectiveness due to alcohol being the active constituent, but hoping for the best results is futile.

Instead, you can choose a manufacturing company that’s keeping the FDA guidelines in check.

At Queen Industries, we always have the latest batch of hand sanitizers at your disposal. Available in different sizes of 300ml, 500ml, and 1000ml, we offer the best rates for bulk and individual-use sanitizers.

Final Word

Now that you know what causes a hand sanitizer to not work well and what does sanitizing do, there’s no doubt left to wonder, ‘does a hand sanitizer work?’

The only thing left for you to do: get in touch with a qualified manufacturing company to buy hand sanitizers online.

Contact Queen Industries today to book your order.