Washing or disinfecting your hands is an important part of hand hygiene. Washing with soap and water removes dirt, grease and some of the germs from the skin. This is particularly useful when your hands are visibly dirty. Many people think that this is all there is to it. However, in many situations, washing your hands is not enough to ensure comprehensive germ reduction.
Disinfection with an alcohol-based agent, on the other hand, specifically targets the killing of pathogens and is therefore particularly effective when hands are not visibly dirty but there is an increased risk of infection.
