By Dean Sensui, Star-Bulletin
Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer is sold at Wal-Mart.
The 2-ounce size is $1.56; an 8-ounce
countertop dispenser is $4.57.

How to be germ-free,
without water

With all the arguments over water rights, it's time we face facts. The future will be waterless.

Cold-weather, outdoor types have long known about such products as waterless shampoos. Just rub it into your hair and rub out the day's grime with a towel. Gross, for sure, but beats having frozen follicles.

Now home consumers can benefit from this trend, with Purell Instant Hand Sanitizer. Just dribble a thumbnail's worth of the clear gel onto your hand, rub, and voila! According to Purell's maker, GOJO Industries Inc., after 15 seconds 99.9 percent of disease-causing micro-organisms are goners. Kaput. Ma-ke die dead.

Purell was originally developed in the mid-'80s for use in the health care and food service industries, and meets OSHA standards of cleanliness. But it comes in particularly handy away from the workplace, in the outdoors where water is not available.

Purell can also be used after regular washing with water to kill germs, especially if there's a sick person in the house and you just know common cold germs are waiting to pounce.

The product contains little more than quick-drying, bacteria-killing ethyl and isopropyl alcohols, with emollients thrown in to protect your baby-soft skin.It feels cold and slimy on the palm, but dries without a trace, save for a tinge of alcohol. Of course, the product is flammable, and you probably wouldn't want to light that camp fire right after using it.

---

By Nadine Kam, Star-Bulletin