Hand sanitizers have been around for a long time but became really popular during the recent swine flu outbreak. I like using the hand sanitizer as I am a cleanliness freak, using the sanitizer helps me keep my hands clean when I cannot easily access soap and water to wash my hands clean, like when out and about. Sometimes even when soap and water is readily available I prefer hand sanitizer as it is easier and more convenient to use.

Hand sanitizers are considered quite effective in cleansing your hands of most of the germs you are likely to pick up while touching surfaces that an infected person has been in contact with or with germs you might pick up from handling raw meat or soiled diapers. Just like you need to thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water to cleanse them you need to use quite a bit of the sanitizer to make sure your hands are clean.

Though using sanitizers are considered to be more drying to the skin than soap and water, I am glad that the newer versions of hand sanitizers that are in the market today have added moisturizers to counter this. I also like the fact since the sanitizers have become so popular the manufacturers are coming out with products that have many nice different smells.

Most of the hand sanitizers smells Alcohol.

Do you know any brand that smells ok?

My dad always uses this stuff that smells like lemon. It still has an alcohol smell to a point, but not that bad. I can't remember the name of it for the life of me..

Alcohol is used as base/ vehicle because it evaporates easily & also has disinfecting characters. The smell of alcohol can be masked by using perfumes in preparations. I had purchased a lavender hand sanitizer online with sweet aroma; although I have not been able to buy 1 again as it was not listed on eBay anymore.

I have at home that don't smell alcohol. It has aloe Vera and scents that you can choose from. Brand is Asseptgel.

I will use a hand sanitizer when soap and water is not available, however I would never use it in place of soap and water. I just don't feel clean from sanitizer alone.

I personally use Dettol sanitizer it has good smell not of alcohol.

I use hand sanitizer all the time, it givesa sense of relief that my hands are clean and free of germs.