Sanitisers used to belong in hospitals and bathrooms. Now we carry bottles of sanitisers in our handbags, our cars, to work and to the shops. We sanitise our hands every time we walk into a building – by law.
Before Covid-19 changed the world that we live in, consumers were bent toward fining natural alternative to harsh cleaning products. Now, when it comes to sanitisers, there’s an emphasis on ‘the most effective sanitisers’. Unfortunately, due to the economic impact of the Pandemic, there is a concurrent emphasis on ‘the cheapest sanitisers’. Put these two together, and you have a recipe for ‘cheap and nasty’ sanitisers that can have long term effects on surfaces, skin and human health.
The long-term effects of cheap surface sanitisers:
- Discoloration of many surfaces
- Cracking of surfaces. This is particularly bad, as the cracks can become havens for bacteria and viruses, making the surface almost impossible to sanitise properly over time.
The long-term effects of cheap hand sanitisers:
- Dermatological effects: constant daily use of hand sanitisers affects the skin. Effects include skin irritation, with long term cracking and yellowing of the skin on the palms of your hands. This is inevitable to a certain degree. However, cheap sanitisers will cause the most damage to skin.
- Impact on overall health: Over the long term, you will absorb chemicals through your skin. Sanitisers also release chemical compounds as aerosols. These are breathed in and can impact your sinuses and lungs.
Perhaps the worst effect of cheap surface sanitisers is that they don’t work as well as they should. In or current reality, the impact could be a Covid-19 outbreak at your business or in your home. (And don’t forget about the other ‘bugs’ and contaminants we used to sanitise for!)
Luckily ‘cheap’ does not have to mean low quality. There are cost-effective, safe sanitisers on the market that have little to no long-term negative effects.
Hand and surface sanitisers can be effective as well as cost effective. They can also be eco-friendly. This is thanks to the development of bio-degradable options that work just as well, if not better, than the harsh chemicals in cheap sanitisers.
