To protect yourself and others against COVID-19, clean your hands frequently and thoroughly. In fact, washing hands with soap and water is the best way to get rid of germs in most situations. If soap and water are not readily available, you can use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. You can tell if the sanitizer contains at least 60% alcohol by looking at the product label.

How to use hand sanitizer?

1. Apply the gel product to the palm of one hand (read the label to learn the correct amount).

Rub your hands together.

2. Rub the gel over all the surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry. This should take around 20 seconds.

Important Notes when using hand sanitizer:

1. Keep alcohol-based hand sanitizers out of children’s reach. Teach them how to apply the sanitizer and monitor its use.

2. Avoid touching your eyes, mouth and nose immediately after using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, as it can cause irritation.

3. Hand sanitizers recommended to protect against COVID-19 are alcohol-based and therefore can be flammable. Do not use before handling fire or cooking.

4. Sanitizers can quickly reduce the number of germs on hands in many situations. However, sanitizers do not get rid of all types of germs, which may not be as effective when hands are visibly dirty or greasy. 

5. Hand sanitizers might not remove harmful chemicals from hands like pesticides and heavy metals.

6. Caution! Swallowing alcohol-based hand sanitizers can cause alcohol poisoning if more than a couple of mouthfuls are swallowed. Keep it out of reach of young children and supervise their use.