8 must-know facts about squeakie clean hands

1. The World Health Organisation (WHO) and Centre for Disease Control (CDC) rates clean hands as the most simple but the most important thing we can all do to stay healthy.

2. Although people usually think that germs are spread through the air, germs are most easily spread by hands. Approximately 80% of infectious diseases are transmitted by touch.

The Mayo Clinic: ‘As you touch people, surfaces and objects throughout the day, you accumulate germs on your hands. in turn, you can infect yourself with these germs by touching your eyes, nose or mouth.’

3. Clean hands are also the best way to combat “superbugs” that are resistant to antibiotics (National Institutes of Health in the US (NIH) and hospital infections (Hand Hygiene Australia (HHA).

4. The ONLY type of hand sanitiser recommended by the WHO and CDC and the Environmental Working Group US (EWG), an organisation that researches the safety of chemicals in personal care and cosmetics, are ALCOHOL based hand sanitisers with at least 60% alcohol. (CDC, WHO, EWG).

WHO: “Alcohol-based handrubs are the only known means for rapidly and effectively inactivating a wide array of potentially harmful microorganisms on hands.”

 5. The problem with standard alcohol hand sanitisers is that they are full of petroleum derived and synthetic chemicals, they use petroleum derived alcohol or ethanol denatured with unlisted toxic chemicals, they dry out hands, and they may include chemicals that are suspected of hormone disruption or containing carcinogenic contaminants. Isopropyl alcohol and n propanol are petroleum derived, non-renewable, highly toxic and drying whilst denatured ethanol will include unlisted toxic denaturants like methanol, acetone, acetaldehyde, ethyl acetate, diethyl phthalate or denatonium benzoate. You’ll notice when you use this type of hand sanitiser before eating food with your hands, food will take on an unpleasant bitter taste. The big complaint with these kind of hand sanitisers is dry hands. What goes hand in hand with this type of formula are chemicals like propylene glycol, carbomer, acrylates, polysorbate 80, edta, pegs, deas, triethanolamine and parabens, as well as artificial fragrances with various unlisted ingredients and synthetic or coal tar derived pretty coloured dyes. The EWG has carginogenic contamination concerns of both ethylene oxide and 1,4- DIOXANE for PEGS, a common hand sanitiser ingredient.

6. So why not alcohol free hand sanitisers? The CDC and the EWG only recommends alcohol hand sanitisers and advises that alcohol free hand sanitisers and wipes may lead to bacterial resistance. Alcohol free hand sanitisers and wipes leave a residue on your skin for hours afterwards that gives bacteria a chance to mutate, and form resistance. A 2010 UK study found that when benzalkonium chloride (the chemical used in many alcohol free hand sanitisers and wipes) was added to the common bacteria pseudomonas aeruginosa, the bacteria learned how to survive. The bacteria also became able to withstand a common antibiotic. Similar studies have been found with the suspected hormone disrupting chemical Triclosan, another chemical used in antibacterial products. There is no risk of bacterial resistance with alcohol because its fast acting (kills germs in 15 seconds), it kills germs as opposed to merely reduce their growth, and no residue is left on the skin’s surface. What’s more, the CDC and WHO reports that alcohol hand sanitiser is the only known fast acting and effective means at killing a wide array of microorganisms on hands.

7. That’s where squeakie comes in. squeakie is the 100% natural hand sanitiser that kills 99.99% of germs. squeakie’s pure milk whey alcohol (62%) removes 99.99% of germs in accordance with WHO and CDC guidelines, and without any of the residue that benzalkonium chloride or triclosan “alcohol free” formulas leave on your skin for hours afterwards, and in a 100% natural way, with zero nasty chemicals. squeakie is loaded with natural moisturisers. You will not find another hand sanitiser in the world with squeakie’s unique combination of pure milk whey alcohol and 4 all natural miracle moisturisers- rosehip oil, bladderwrack extract, aloe vera and vegetable glycerine, with a hint of palmarosa and lime oil, to genuinely moisturise and condition hands. No animal testing, 10% of profits go to causes that need a helping hand and all in a bpa free recyclable bottle, in 100% recycled box packaging.

8. squeakie contains absolutely no ingredients that are suspected to be hormone disrupters, or may lead to bacterial resistance, or have carcinogenic contaminants. As we say here at squeakie hq, no nasties in squeakie means no nasties in you.

For squeakie clean hands in 20 seconds, squeakie.com.au/shop.