Sport band and hand sanitizer

[MaulRx]

I have to sterilize my hands about half a million times a day and was curious how it would affect the sport band. I cut the sport band into various pieces and applied different types of alcohol based sanitizers to them. Within just a few mins the germ x did this to the band. A cross section of the band makes it appear the band is made of two different materials so not sure how the "inner" material would hold up. Saved a piece of the band to do a heat test, ie hand dryers, later.

Willing to test more of the same band to various products\conditions if anyone has requests.

 

[mikezmac]

Most rubbers are broken down by alcohol. Depends on the sanitizer I'd say. I'd keep anything rubber away from cleaning agents, alcohol and the such.

 

[MaulRx]

I know, hence the experiment. I wanted to see how fast it would change the band. That band was brand new never worn and the germ x was on it for exactly 60 seconds. Granted it was loads more then you should use, I was surprised how fast it started to react.

 

[mikezmac]

What % of alcohol is in the sanitizer? Shouldn't be that much. This would mean the band is very susceptible. Or the dye the band is soaked in... There were issues with some black bands loosing color posted.

 

[MaulRx]

Around 60 percent ethyl alcohol. Could try ISO-propyl as well.

 

[mikezmac]

60... I was way off.

 

[Cpt. Gilgamesh]

A very convenient ad for alcohol-free hand sanitizers popped up in this thread.

 

[mcdj]

Perfect excuse to give up hand sanitizers. They are quietly destroying our immune systems.

 

[MaulRx]

Perfect excuse to give up hand sanitizers. They are quietly destroying our immune systems.

That's yet to be conclusively proven. Needless to say I wouldn't use them if not required by time.

 

[Cpt. Gilgamesh]

When I worked as cashier in some places, sanitizer was the best you could do when stuck at the counter and unable to wash hands. Some people just got some nasty money, ESPECIALLY during summer. So many sweaty dollars...

 

[alFR]

Perfect excuse to give up hand sanitizers. They are quietly destroying our immune systems.

Unless you happen to be in hospital, when (if you're a patient) the staff using them could save your life or (if you're a staff member) they could stop you getting colonised with MRSA or something else nasty.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Perfect excuse to give up hand sanitizers. They are quietly destroying our immune systems.

Vs. infecting yourself with illness causing germs that violently overtake the immune system?

Eat a gallon of ice cream a day and you'll likely become obese. But that's no reason to go cold turkey on ice cream. Cleaning one's hands after the restroom, before eating, or after touching things like handrails that have a lot of contact with people to is a good health measure. And that is quite different than slathering oneself every 20 minutes as-if you were OCD.

 

[mikezmac]

Vs. infecting yourself with illness causing germs that violently overtake the immune system?

Eat a gallon of ice cream a day and you'll likely become obese. But that's no reason to go cold turkey on ice cream. Cleaning one's hands after the restroom, before eating, or after touching things like handrails that have a lot of contact with people to is a good health measure. And that is quite different than slathering oneself every 20 minutes as-if you were OCD.

Our immune system is created by exposure. If your body is never introduced to a bacterium you will never build an immunity to it.

 

[Arran]

I have to sterilize my hands about half a million times a day and was curious how it would affect the sport band. I cut the sport band into various pieces and applied different types of alcohol based sanitizers to them. Within just a few mins the germ x did this to the band. A cross section of the band makes it appear the band is made of two different materials so not sure how the "inner" material would hold up. Saved a piece of the band to do a heat test, ie hand dryers, later.

Willing to test more of the same band to various products\conditions if anyone has requests.

What exactly is your photograph showing? It just looks like a surface residue that would rinse off with water.

 

[Arran]

Most rubbers are broken down by alcohol. Depends on the sanitizer I'd say. I'd keep anything rubber away from cleaning agents, alcohol and the such.

Natural rubber is destroyed by oil. Alcohol is generally ok in small quantities.

Synthetic rubbers, flouroelastomer in particular, are extremely inert.

 

[DDustiNN]

I'll just leave this here.

 

[MaulRx]

What exactly is your photograph showing? It just looks like a surface residue that would rinse off with water.

It's roughness of the strap, you can't wipe it off. The germ-x broke it down

 

[MrMoonUK]

If you work in healthcare you really shouldn't be wearing a watch, the policy in the UK for hospital workers is bare below the elbows, no watches or sleeves cos they spread germs

 

[Chupa Chupa]

Our immune system is created by exposure. If your body is never introduced to a bacterium you will never build an immunity to it.

I'm not sure what that has to do with keeping one's hands cleans -- not obsessively, but appropriately so. Every respected health provider and organization on the planet recommends hand washing as the #1 way to prevent illness and the spread of germs.

 

[Chum1600]

Unless you happen to be in hospital, when (if you're a patient) the staff using them could save your life or (if you're a staff member) they could stop you getting colonised with MRSA or something else nasty.

I work as a nurse and can tell you that when I leave a patient with c-diff you will be happy I used that hand sanitizer. I am very interested to see how the sport band holds up in the hospital setting. I am required to foam in and out everytime I am in a room. Should have my SS BSB on Monday.

 

[The Doctor11]

I have to sterilize my hands about half a million times a day

Dude that stuff is bad! Hand sanitizer kills almost all the germs. They leave behind the resistant ones that are very hard to kill. Those then multiply over and over and over spreading their can't kill genes to all their offspring. Then when you get sick from some of that **** meds don't help.

As for the band I'll make sure to not get the hand sanitizer I don't use on it . But good to know.

 

[MaulRx]

Dude that stuff is bad! Hand sanitizer kills almost all the germs. They leave behind the resistant ones that are very hard to kill. Those then multiply over and over and over spreading their can't kill genes to all their offspring. Then when you get sick from some of that **** meds don't help.

As for the band I'll make sure to not get the hand sanitizer I don't use on it . But good to know.

Boy a lot of people took Intro to Biology in this thread.

Again, this isn't a topic about the unproved dangers of hand sanitizers but rather what they do to the sport band for others like me that have(see: not necessarily want) to use them throughout the day. That said your comment is a little like saying don't bother locking up the minor criminals because then there would just be murderers on the street. I'm fully aware of both the science behind survival of the fittest and how resistance develops. That all said; we still have to kill as many germs as possible and it's been deemed that hand sanitizers and foams are the quickest way to do that.

 

[mikezmac]

My take on this thread is that it was about the watch band and not the germs however this has seemed to have turned into a pissing match over who understands why over sanitizing creates resistant germs...

(I bet Samsung Fans don't sanitize LOL)

 

[chrismac00]

I work at a hospital and I can tell you from one week of working and wearing my watch that the sports band is not affected. I'm not sure if there will be any long-term damage but so far so good. We use hand sanitizer and soap all day long.

 

[Newtons Apple]

When I worked as cashier in some places, sanitizer was the best you could do when stuck at the counter and unable to wash hands. Some people just got some nasty money, ESPECIALLY during summer. So many sweaty dollars...

I love when I go to the Subbase and the person who is making you sub with the gloves on, stops in the middle and makes change at the register! After wards it is right back to your unfinished sub!