I’m a fan of hand sanitizer. I’m kind of a germ freak (mostly when I’m in a super-public area) and I’ve found myself stocked up on a lot of different kinds of hand sanitizer. I find the standard Purell boring, so whenever Bath and Body Works has a special sale on their PocketBac hand sanitizer, I’m sure to stock up, especially if I happen to love the scent.
If you’re like me, or even if you have a few gallons of Purell that you’re looking to use up, here are a few ideas to use hand sanitizer that you maybe haven’t thought of.
Deodorant
Whether it’s boiling in your office or you went for a walk on your lunch break, sometimes your morning deodorant application won’t cut it. One of the best things about hand sanitizer is it also works as a deodorant. Take your little squeeze bottle of the stuff, and go to the bathroom. Squirt a little on a wad of toilet paper and wipe it under your arms. Be careful, as this does contain alcohol and will hurt tremendously if you just have freshly-shaved armpits. Allow to dry and carry on with your day.
NOTE: This is NOT meant to be a substitute for regular deodorant or anti-perspirant. If you want to continue to make friends and influence people, please also continue to wash under your armpits and regularly apply anti-perspirant or deodorant.
Got some freaky flyaways? No problem, hand sanitizer is here to help! Take a dab or two on the palm of your hand, rub together lightly (do not rub it in your hands all the way, you want the sanitizer to still be wet) and smooth over your hair. Since the hand sanitizer gel contains alcohol, it will help to absorb some of the oils in your hair and help control frizz and flyaways.
NOTE: I find that the better-scented hand sanitizers (such as the ones from Bath and Body Works) are better for this purpose than regular old Purell. If you’re getting close to someone, the last thing you want them to smell is lemony-fresh hand sanitizer in your hair.
If you’re particularly afraid of public restrooms (let’s face it, they can be downright DISGUSTING… yes, even the women’s restrooms!), you might be the type to put down a paper seat cover before you use the toilet. If there are no toilet seat covers, you might resort to unrolling half a toilet paper roll and putting a three-inch barrier between your buttocks and the toilet seat.
Fear not, you don’t have to waste toilet paper (especially if it is in short supply anyway!) Take a few sheets of toilet paper, squirt a generous amount of hand sanitizer on the paper (or even on the seat if you wish) and rub vigorously until the alcohol has evaporated. You have successfully killed anyone else’s butt germs and you can now use the restroom in peace.
Did you know that alcohol is a great Glasses cleaner? If you have greasy glasses and you can’t seem to get them clean from breathing on them and wiping them on your shirt, you can use a dab of hand sanitizer to clean off the grease. Have a tissue handy and put a dab of hand sanitizer on your glasses lens. Rub it around with your finger and then wipe it off with a clean tissue.
If you happen to get a small cut when you’re out and there are no adhesive medical strips available, hand sanitizer helps to stop bleeding on small cuts or scrapes. Take a small dab and apply it to the cut or scrape with your pinky finger. Be warned, this will HURT. It also kills any surface germs that might be on the cut or scrape and will help stop bleeding temporarily.
NOTE: it’s best to use regular old Purell for this and not the fancy-scented hand sanitizers. The extra scents/colors might irritate the cut or scrape and make it hurt more.
Hopefully you were able to find a new idea for using up some of your stockpiled hand sanitizer. Of course, it always helps to keep some handy just in case you need a quick hand cleaning!
