Hand sanitizer has become the first line of defense for millions of Americans.
We use it when we’re out and can’t reach a bathroom…
We use it when we have to visit a hospital or clinic for protection from medical-grade germs…
Some of us even use it around the house in the coronavirus era for extra protection or to wipe down mail and packages.
But a new warning finds some hand sanitizers are hiding a DEADLY secret.
They could contain a dangerous chemical that, instead of cleaning your hands, could cause you to get sick, suffer seizures, go blind, and even in the most extreme exposures drop dead.
So let me share with you how to spot the dangers. And more importantly, allow me to offer up a simpler… and SAFER…option you can use instead.
Hidden hand sanitizer ingredient can KILL
You know what happened this past spring.
When the virus hit, toilet paper, yeast, and hand sanitizer all vanished at once. The TP has slowly returned. And you can even get yeast now that everyone has figured out it’s easier to just buy bread than bake your own.
Hand sanitizer returned, too, but with a difference.
Out with the Purell and in with all these weird off-brand names, no one’s ever heard of. And the new warning shows how some of these aren’t just off-brands. They’re off in other ways. Dangerously off.
Many of the oddball sanitizers from south of the border which have filled stores and online retailers in recent weeks contain a secret ingredient. Sanitizer is supposed to contain ethyl alcohol, which kills germs. But dozens of these off-brands are contaminated with methanol.
This wood alcohol, as it’s also known, is dangerous if you ingest it. And that includes any small amounts left on your hands if you eat after a quick scrub (or if it accidentally gets onto your food). It’s even dangerous just on your skin, where it can get absorbed into your body.
The FDA says people who’ve ingested hand sanitizer with methanol have suffered blindness, hospitalization, and even death.
Other signs of methanol poisoning include:
- nausea and vomiting
- headaches
- blurry vision
- seizures
- coma
- nerve damage
And remember, this can happen just from using it on your hands. The FDA says kids in particular… especially little ones who put everything in their mouths… face the biggest risk of all.
2 steps to protect against accidental poisoning
So take two steps to protect yourself and your loved ones.
First, check your hand sanitizers to see if any are under recall. The FDA has posted a list here. If you have any, get rid of it. The feds say don’t flush it and don’t mix it with other liquids. Ideally, it should go out with the hazardous waste.
Many communities have collection programs for hazardous waste products like these. Contact your local environmental, health, or solid waste agency to learn where you can safely dispose of the hand sanitizer near you.
And second, with hand sanitizer still hard to come by, get back to basics. Plain old soap and water are MORE effective than even the best hand sanitizer. Just be sure to lather up good, rub for at least 20 seconds, rinse off, and dry with a clean towel.
Best of all: Ordinary soap is still easy to come by… and for something this clean, it’s also dirt cheap.
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