Since the coronavirus outbreak, supermarkets and pharmacies across the country have sold out of hand sanitiser.
While soap and water are traditionally accepted as the way to clean hands, many people believe that using an alcohol-based hand sanitiser offers the best protection.
But could an old-fashioned bar of soap actually be more effective at removing germs than an alcohol sanitiser?
We all know that keeping our hands clean stops viruses and bacteria from spreading.
According to the HSE, about 30% to 50% of infections that start in hospitals can be avoided. That is because having clean hands is the best way to stop the spread of harmful germs.
However, soap is better at removing bacteria and viruses than sanitisers.
Alcohol-based hand sanitisers can reduce the number of microbes on hands but sanitisers do not eliminate all types of germs, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The US CDC says that soap and water are more effective than hand sanitisers at removing certain kinds of germs, like the winter-vomiting bug.
And if your hands or fingernails are dirty or greasy, sanitiser won't clean them - only soap and water will do.
A teacher in the US used an experiment with bread in her classroom to demonstrate the importance of washing hands.
The experiment involved slices of bread that had been handled with unwashed hands, hands cleaned with sanitiser, and hands cleaned with soap and water.
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The children placed the slices of bread into labelled bags and hung them on the wall in the classroom.
The results, three-four weeks later, were eye opening. The bread handled with the soap-and-water hands had no visible trace of bacteria on it while the bread handled with sanitised hands did.
The HSE advises washing hands properly and often to minimise the risk of contracting Covid-19.
How to wash your hands with soap and water
1. Wet your hands with warm water and apply soap.
2. Rub your hands together until the soap forms a lather.
3. Rub the top of your hands, between your fingers and under your fingernails.
4. Do this for about 20 seconds.
5. Rinse your hands under running water.
6. Dry your hands with a clean towel or paper towel.
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