Does Hand Sanitizer Expire

Most hand sanitizers will kill 99 99 or more of most bacteria fungi as well as stop various viruses.

Does hand sanitizer expire. That s because the alcohol inside evaporates over time. If you re a germaphobe like me you probably have a mini bottle tucked in a pocket of every purse gym bag and backpack in your closet. Although legally expired a sanitizer may still have some effectiveness remaining after the printed date. Legally all products sold on stores must have a shelf life or an expiration date.

Or does hand sanitizer actually stop working once it gets too old. Yes hand sanitizer does expire soon after you pop the top on your hand sanitizer it starts to lose effectiveness. Hand sanitizer should only be used a backup for when you don t have access to a sink and hand soap like when you are grabbing groceries or running another important errand. Although they do not eliminate all germs alcohol based sanitizers kill most harmful bacteria and viruses.

Does hand sanitizer kill viruses. Hand sanitizer expires because its alcohol content dissolves over time once it drops below 60 alcohol it won t be as effective at killing germs. While hand sanitizer may still work after it s expired your best bet is to replace it once it s reached its expiration date since it may be less effective. Hand washing having some sanitizer on hand heh while you re making a quick stop at the grocery store and practicing safe social distancing is a good idea dr.

Research has shown that hand sanitizers can serve as an effective way to disinfect your hands. They re effective in killing this amount in 30 seconds or less making them a great way to protect against the spreading of germs and illness in public settings. However expired hand sanitizer may still have some effectiveness especially if it hasn t been opened yet. Hand sanitizer is a bit like chapstick or lip gloss.

So is this pure marketing.