What should you do after applying alcohol-based hand rub?

After applying alcohol-based hand rub, allowing your hands to air dry is essential for effective hand hygiene. Air drying enables the alcohol in the hand rub to evaporate completely, which is crucial for its effectiveness in reducing microbial presence on the skin.

The efficacy of alcohol-based hand sanitizers is partly due to their ability to quickly dehydrate and kill germs. If the hands are wiped with a towel, it may remove some of the product before it has a chance to act, thereby compromising its germicidal effectiveness. Likewise, rinsing with water can wash away the alcohol, rendering the sanitizer ineffective for its intended purpose. Covering hands with gloves immediately after application can also negate the benefit of the hand rub, as the gloves could transfer microbes from surfaces back onto the skin or may not provide the same level of hygiene if not properly managed.

Therefore, letting the hands air dry is the best practice to ensure that the hand sanitizer can do its job effectively.