Get to a sink — it’s still the best way to wash away those germs.

We’ve all gotten used to having hand sanitizers in our baby bags. I carry one all the time. But a University of Ottawa researcher has found liquid and foam hand sanitizers are inefficient if not backed up with regular soap-and-water hand-washing.

Microbiologist Jason Tetro conducted a test on school children at the request of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, in which swabs of their hands for bacterial culture were taken before they used hand sanitizer and then after they had used it.

He said while many sanitizers claim to kill 99.9 percent of germs, results seen using three brands ranged from 46 percent fewer bacteria to 60.4 percent. 

”It was very obvious which ones were washing their hands and which ones weren’t. You could see, practically, the dirt and oil buildup on their hands,” Tetro told the Ottawa Citizen.

“The caveat to all that is that you should be washing your hands eight to 12 times a day,” or the sanitizer won’t work well.” 

He noted the test found the students who play sports and got dirty outdoors were more likely to wash their hands with soap than the more sedentary students, the report said.

So “kills 99.9 percent of germs” is apparently just marketing spin. Don’t let that tag line make you believe your child’s hands are clean enough. In the end, good old soap and water is still the best way to kill those germs. Surprise!

And when it comes to hand-washing… I have my kids count to 30 or sing the happy birthday song while soaping up their hands. Experts say that’s how long it takes for soap to actually do some serious germ-busting. Washing with warm water is also good for disinfecting.

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