Hand sanitizer

Start with the label. A hand sanitizer’s active ingredient and its concentration — ethyl alcohol at a stated percentage, for example — are printed on the product, and every listing shows them exactly as labeled, with the NDC where the manufacturer gives one. Then choose the format: gel or foam, in a pump bottle or a refill made for a specific dispenser system. A refill fits the system its manufacturer names, so tell us the dispensers on your walls.

FDA has published a list of hand sanitizers it urges consumers not to use — for example, products found to contain methanol — and points to its recalls database for newer recalls. We check both before we quote a sanitizer. Alcohol-based sanitizers are flammable liquids for shipping (hazard Class 3), so freight can carry hazardous-materials fees; every quote states the freight basis.

In nursing homes, CDC’s Enhanced Barrier Precautions guidance asks facilities to ensure access to alcohol-based hand rub in every resident room, ideally both inside and outside.

We carry PURELL and Medline hand sanitizers.