# Hand Sanitizer

Hello mamas! I am wondering if I can use hand sanitizer on my 11mo old baby. I am just worried about getting any chemicals in his mouth since he puts his hands in his mouth all the time. Please let me know if anyone uses it on their babys

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### So What Happened?™

Thanks everyone!!!I will stick to soap and water and antibacteral wipes for now!!!

### Featured Answers

I would not use hand sanitizer on a child that young. Like you said, at that age, they have their hands in their mouths all the time. Those hand sanitizers have a high % of alcohol in them and can be lethal if they swallow enough, especially a small baby.

There was a case a while back where a child had gotten alcohol poisoning from hand sanitizer. It's worth doing some research online about.

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### More Answers

Hi E....

The answer to your question is ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!

Hand sanitizer can cause alcohol poisoning if ingested. Please see the link below:

http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/sanitizer.asp

Please don't use this stuff. Stick with wipes or good old hand-washing. Good luck!!!

**2** moms found this helpful 

The other posts about drying out the skin and killing the good bacteria that keep skin healthy are right on. I wanted to share with everyone that one time my daughter decided to put hand sanitizer all over her body multiple times in one day while at a friends house. She developed awful patches of dry skin all over her body. Even special lotions weren't helping. Finally I decided to put plain yogurt all over her body to help her skin to restore its original 'germ' make-up. It rubs in just like lotion and it worked like a charm. (I tried this because when I was in Croatia I was told to put yogurt on her sunburn-it worked great for that too. I must have 'live and active' cultures.) I do not recommend using anything "antibacterial" on your hands or body. I second the other posts that say regular soap and water are wonderful. Good luck!   


**1** mom found this helpful 

I've used hand sanitizer on both of my kids, just make sure its rubbed in real good and his hands are completely dry after use.

I either used the regular baby wipes and always carried the anti-bacterial wet wipe packages in my purse (you can generally get them in the check out counters at Target, Kmart or Walmart). You can also buy the anti-bacterical wet wipes in individual travel packets (just like you used to get for your fingers at KFC) in the travel aisle. Of course, I'm sure soap and water are best but none of my counters were ever big enough to set baby on to do that. You can always just use a washcloth too.

I know that once my son started walking and I would take him into public restrooms with me I used hand sanitizer on his hands and when he went to one of his Dr. check ups he was pulling stuff out of the diaper bag and one of the things that he got out was the sanitizer. He acted like he put it on and the Dr. made the comment that he knows how to use it and that is good. His Dr. said that it was good practice to use when in public places to help cut down on chances of getting something like a cold or the flu. I would use it in small amounts and make sure that you help him rub his hands together as well as to make sure that they are dry. I know a friend of mines daughter played with a small bottle of hand sanitizer a few years back and she had the symptoms of being drunk because she was drinking it, she only had a small amout like 2 oz. (This is a child who never put anything but her hands in her mouth so my friend was very suprised that she did this when she was 2 or 3). So yes the warning of alchol poisoning sp? is very true.   


The reason we are getting sicker now a days is because we use to much hand sanitizer. You son needs some germs to be able to fight off the other germs. We have horrible immune systems becuase of sanitizers. Hold off until he is older and only when you really need it, like when you are about to eat and can't wash. Good luck and God Bless.

I would not use hand sanitizer on a child that young. Like you said, at that age, they have their hands in their mouths all the time. Those hand sanitizers have a high % of alcohol in them and can be lethal if they swallow enough, especially a small baby.

I would just use soap and water. It may take a little more effort, but worth it!