What is an essential practice to ensure the effectiveness of hand sanitizer?

The essential practice to ensure the effectiveness of hand sanitizer is allowing it to dry completely after application. This is crucial because hand sanitizer contains alcohol as its active ingredient, which needs time to work effectively against germs and bacteria. If the sanitizer is wiped off or if hands are not allowed to dry properly, it may not have the opportunity to eliminate pathogens completely.

Ensuring that the hands remain wet for a sufficient duration allows the alcohol to penetrate and disrupt the outer membrane of many pathogens, which is how it exerts its antimicrobial effect. Thus, this practice directly influences the overall efficacy of hand sanitizers in maintaining hand hygiene.

Other practices, while they may seem important, do not contribute to the effectiveness of hand sanitizer in the same way. For instance, using it on dirty hands can hinder its effectiveness because physical dirt or grease may shield germs from the alcohol. Wiping hands before using sanitizer could also remove some of the product or the contaminants. Applying it when no one is looking does not relate to its effectiveness and could reflect a lack of proper hygiene routines rather than enhance sanitization efforts.