Alcohol Wipes

Alcohol wipes have many different uses, for example when you go to get a blood test or an injection, have you ever noticed the nurse first wiping your skin with a wet piece of cotton or cloth? Well, the wet and cold feeling is because of the alcohol, which is a very effective agent used to kill bacteria and prevent infection.

Alcohol wipes, are also known as anti-microbial strips or anti-microbial rubs or wipes, which come in various shapes and sizes depending on the need. Some alcohol wipes are large, like kerchiefs, to wipe hands and other larger body parts whereas some others are smaller, like cotton balls used to wipe needles, thermometers, syringes and smaller body parts like finger tips, nails etc.

They are very effective disinfectants but alcohol wipes cannot be used to sterilize surgical instruments or larger needles due to the low alcohol content. In these cases, it is wiser to insert the instruments directly into the alcohol. The wipes are used to kill all bacteria on the skin surface before puncturing it to keep the microbes from entering the body tissue.

It is very important to keep our hands clean at all times, especially before a meal or before cooking to avoid being a victim of various microbial infections. The easiest and safest way to do this is by washing your hands regularly with soap and water. Alcohol wipes are very useful in situations where water and soap are unavailable. For example, you go on a picnic with your folks at the beach and play around in the sand and the seawater, finding a source of clean water and soap to clean up may not be possible and in such cases alcohol wipes or rubs play a very important role. They are portable, usable and disposable. In big clinical setups, using disposable wipes is preferred over primitive ways of using cotton and bottled alcohol.

Alcohol strips are available on the market in boxes, and each strip is well- packed in small sachets so that physical contact can be avoided until the time of use. This kind of minute packing is very beneficial to people who travel a lot for business or pleasure, as it does not occupy too much space.

Using alcohol wipes also has a few disadvantages. Once used, they have to be properly disposed off, which is sometimes difficult to do especially in places where trash cans are unavailable. If not disposed properly, the infectious microbes could get into the air or come in contact with another person hence spreading infection. This trouble does not occur when using sanitizing creams and liquids. Drying up of the alcohol is another problem, which can occur once the sealed packet is opened. When the alcohol dries up, the disinfectant property of the wipe wears off, hence reducing the protective effect. Another common disadvantage is the price. Most of these alcohol packs are somewhat expensive and therefore unaffordable to some small clinical setups and even middle class individuals and families. In addition to this, if these strips are used over open wounds, they may result in damage to the skin and the underlying tissue due to their harsh effects.