Alcohol free hand sanitiser vs Alcohol Gel? Here are the facts!

As we’ve entered 2021 we find ourselves in lockdown again and there’s never been a more important time to protect ourselves and our loved ones from this dreadful pandemic. As stated by our prime minister Boris Johnson the need for protecting our hands, protecting our face, and protecting our space is of dire importance.

The advice is to wash hands thoroughly for 20 seconds with soap and water, this can use up to 2 litres of water and may be immediately compromised by a dirty towel or door handle.

If a washbasin and soap is not available, then the recommendation is to use an alcohol gel which is instantly effective but leaves hands dry and unprotected as soon as the alcohol has evaporated.

But let’s examine the advice for a moment, as it applies particularly to alcohol sanitisers, and doesn’t take specially developed alcohol free hand sanitiser like Safe Workspaces XtraSAN Active Sanitiser into account.

First of all, the British Government and WHO advice is absolutely right. If you are using an alcohol-based sanitiser, it does need to have an alcohol concentration higher than 60% to be effective against coronavirus. Fact.

So why do Downing Street and the WHO only recommend over 60% alcohol sanitisers?

Before the pandemic, and even as the virus started to spread, alcohol sanitiser was widely available on the high street and very cost effective for the majority of the population. So, the low price and wide availability were likely key factors in their recommendation, not just the performance against germs and bacteria. Some alcohol free hand sanitiser products are not tested against enough different types of virus and bacteria so cannot be relied on against the coronavirus.

XtraSAN Alcohol Free Hand Sanitiser kills MORE bacteria than Alcohol sanitisers

Typical alcohol gels kill between 99% and 99.99% of bacteria and viruses. “Kills 99.9% of bacteria” sounds good enough right? Well here’s why the amount of 9’s matters!

It’s all about the number of bacteria that are left alive after application of the sanitiser. If there are 1 million bacteria, a product with a 3 Log kill (99.9%) would leave 1000 bacteria alive.

XtraSAN Alcohol Free Hand Sanitiser has a 6 Log kill (99.9999%) and only leaves 1 bacteria particle. Yes, only ONE single bacteria particle out of 1 million survives. Impressive right?

The table below shows how using XtraSAN leaves next to no risk of infection from bacteria and viruses after application.

Proven superior performance over alcohol-based sanitisers

Kills 99.9999% of germs, pathogens, viruses, and bacteria in less than a minute
Long lasting protective biocidal and virucidal film residue on surfaces and skin
Ongoing protection between uses
Increased effectiveness with repeated use
Kills a broader spectrum of bacteria and viruses
Effective against C. diff (causes diarrhoea) unlike alcohol-based hand sanitiser
Resistance to the formation of bacterial viral biofilm on surfaces
Biofilm disrupting capability
Totally non-toxic, non-flammable and non-hazardous
Does not promote superbug resistance

Long lasting protection on hands and surfaces

XtraSAN alcohol free hand sanitiser provides immediate protection for your hands and surfaces on application. But it also protects long after you’ve applied it. XtraSAN doesn’t evaporate like alcohol. The active ingredients dry and leave a non-sticky residual protective layer on surfaces that acts as an antiviral and antibacterial shield for up to 24 hours after application. So XtraSAN keeps working to protect you and your family even after it has dried.

Proven to kill Coronavirus

Coronaviruses are one of the easiest types of viruses to kill with the appropriate disinfectant or sanitisation product.

The active ingredients in XtraSAN are listed on the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control website as being effective against Human Coronavirus. Concentrations of the active ingredients are equal to or above those recommended by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control for use in targeting COVID 19.
XtraSAN has also been laboratory tested extensively, and the results demonstrated effectiveness against viruses similar to SARS-CoV-2 on hard, nonporous surfaces.

How does XtraSAN work?

XtraSAN may be an alcohol-free hand sanitiser, but itiis deadly if you are a virus! Its biofilm disrupting capability works by attacking the protein and lipid structures that encapsulate envelope type viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2 (which is the virus that causes COVID-19). It completely destroys the virus unlike alcohol gels which only temporarily disable them allowing an opportunity for them to come back stronger.

It’s been around a long time, and is trusted by Government

XtraSAN has been developed by PHD Scientists and widely used in the Medical, Aerospace and Defence industries over the last 10 years. It is now being made available to the general public to help with the Coronavirus and subsequent sanitiser shortage.

The benefits for sensitive skin and eczema sufferers

PH Neutral and suitable for sensitive eczema prone skin
Doesn’t dry out hands or cause dermatitis
Actively moisturises hands
It is ‘foggable’ so can also be used in fogging machines to decontaminate environments

Environmentally friendly

>99% natural ingredients
Not tested on animals
Vegan friendly
Safe to use on skin, surfaces, pets, gadgets and floors
Non-hazardous and non-toxic
Waste water form decontamination go straight to drain
Bleach and alcohol free

If it’s not Alcohol, what is it? (Read this if you like science!)

XtraSAN, is a complex polymeric biocide and virucide that is applied to the hands or surfaces for the purpose of removing common pathogens (disease-causing organisms) and viruses including respiratory viruses such as SARS-CoV. It also leaves a highly active residual dry film that continues to deliver protection by killing bacteria and viruses long after initial application.

What is a polymeric biocide?

Polymeric biocides are commonly used in medicine to fight infection and in the food industry to prevent bacterial contamination. Sometimes known as antimicrobial polymers, they have been engineered to mimic the immune systems of living things to kill viruses and bacteria.

Antimicrobial polymers have next-to-no associated environmental hazards, are non-volatile and chemically stable. This makes polymeric biocides perfect for use in medicine to fight infection, and in the food industry to prevent bacterial contamination. They are also widely used in water sanitation to inhibit the growth of microorganisms in drinking water.

Is it safe to use at home?

Yes! XtraSAN is completely non-hazardous and safe to use on your skin, surfaces, gadgets and floors. The excess liquid from decontamination and domestic floor cleaning can go straight to the drain.

Because it is 100% alcohol free and PH neutral, XtraSAN is non-irritant and is even suitable for sensitive and eczema prone skin. It also moisturises. Bonus!

Where else can you use XtraSAN Alcohol Free Hand Sanitiser?

XtraSAN can be used effectively for routine sanitising in commercial, industrial and retail buildings including schools, hospitals, surgeries, nursing homes, offices, theatres and sports facilities.

Safe to use in areas for food processing, kitchens, food preparation, food transportation and all types agricultural situations.
XtraSAN can also be used through a fogger and is an effective way to sanitise areas that have been exposed to COVID-19.

Tested, certified and trusted

XtraSAN is 100% compliant with all international hand hygiene protocols and the EU Biocidal Products Regulation (NPR, Regulation (EU) 528/2012). Safe Workspaces XtraSAN Active Sanitiser is also tested and certified to all of the relevant British and European Standards

The certifications:

BSEN1276 – In order to pass this standard, products have been tested by an independent laboratory and must prove a bacteria kill rate of 99.999% within 5 minutes. This is the European standard for the bactericidal activity of chemical disinfectants as proof of effective infection control against harmful micro-organisms such as MRSA, Salmonella, E.Coli, Flu Virus (H1N1) and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa.

BSEN13697 – Bactericidal and/or fungicidal activity of chemical disinfectants used on non-porous surfaces in food, industrial, domestic and institutional areas.

BSEN14476 – Certifies the virucidal activity of chemical disinfectant and antiseptic products. This European Standard applies to products that are used in the medical area in the fields of hygienic handrub, hygienic handwash, instrument disinfection by immersion, surface disinfection by wiping, spraying, flooding or other means and textile disinfection. This European Standard applies to areas and situations where disinfection is medically indicated. Such indications occur in patient care, for example: – in hospitals, in community medical facilities, and in dental institutions; – in clinics of schools, of kindergartens, and of nursing homes; and may occur in the workplace and in the home. It may also include services such as laundries and kitchens supplying products directly for the patients.