Hand sanitizer is a liquid, gel, or foam generally used to decrease infectious agents on the hands. In most settings, handwashing with soap and water is generally preferred. Hand sanitizer is less effective at killing certain kinds of germs, such as norovirus and Clostridium difficile and unlike soap and water, it cannot remove harmful chemicals People may incorrectly wiped off hand sanitizer before it has dried, and some are less effective because their alcohol concentrations are too low.

Hand sanitizer is a liquid, gel, or foam generally used to decrease infectious agents on the hands. In most settings, handwashing with soap and water is generally preferred. Hand sanitizer is less effective at killing certain kinds of germs, such as norovirus and Clostridium difficile and unlike soap and water, it cannot remove harmful chemicals People may incorrectly wiped off hand sanitizer before it has dried, and some are less effective because their alcohol concentrations are too low.