Alcohol Wipes

Alcohol wipes provide a number of hygienic purposes in a number of different environments, such as the home, office and hospital.  They are typically sealed in individual packets to preserve sterility and prevent contamination.  Though alcohol wipes are convenient and effective as a first form of treatment, careful attention should be paid in instances where there is risk for infection.

Simple cuts can be treated first be cleaning the area with soap and warm water and then swabbed with an alcohol wipe.  By doing so, the area affected by the cut is cleansed and the wipe can kill remaining germs.  The cut should then be covered with a bandage or other dressing to prevent further contamination.

Another application of alcohol wipes is for cleaning household surfaces such as counters and sinks.  Cleaning by alcohol wipes should not be the only part of cleaning, but can be used alone if no other cleaning solutions are available.  Sometimes alcohol wipes are used more than they were intended for, such as for a larger surface than the size of the wipe.  The amount of alcohol wipes recommended by the manufacturer should be taken into account to ensure bacteria are killed.

In the workplace, alcohol wipes are great solutions for cleaning shared surfaces when soap and water are not available.  This includes telephones, desk surfaces and faucet handles.  Cleaning these areas is especially helpful when in an enclosed setting with many workers in close proximity to each other.  Modern offices contain cubes (or cubicles) so that employees are seated with minimal distance from each other.  In some of these instances, not even a wall exists between each employee.

In public, alcohol wipes may help prevent spreading germs and bacteria that lead to diseases and illnesses that can easily spread.  They can be used to wipe down a table at a restaurant with heavy customer traffic, the poles inside subway cars and also on door handles to buildings and rooms within those buildings.  A person, who has an illness but must be in public rather than stay home, can help prevent spreading germs by covering their mouths when they cough or sneeze and wiping his/her hands with a wipe.  This can also be extended to any surface the person has contact with until they are no longer sick.

Probably a type of facility where alcohol wipes are used the most, are the hospitals.  Because of the high concentration of people who are sick, they are used not just for the cleaning purposes stated above, but also for other uses such as cleaning injection areas.  For example, if a shot needs to be administered to a patient or blood drawn for testing, the injection site is thoroughly wiped with an alcohol wipe from a sealed packet before inserting the needle.  This minimizes, if not eliminates, the chance of contaminating the donor body, the sample and every surface in between.  This is especially helpful in preventing samples from becoming contaminated and patients becoming sicker or sick from another type of bacteria.