Hardly any commercial disinfectant has been available in drugstores and pharmacies in Germany since the beginning of the Corona crisis. In response, on March 4, the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) allowed pharmacies to produce disinfectants themselves for customers, doctors and nursing homes. But now delivery bottlenecks are spreading here too and there is a lack of the necessary ingredients to produce disinfectants.
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Alternatives to disinfectants: which ones are there?
In principle, disinfecting hands is not necessary for normal people. However, there are alternatives that offer sufficient protection for people who do not belong to the risk group. This can be very useful on the go. In addition to thorough hand washing, the alternatives also include high-proof alcohol and lemon balm spirit.
1. Washing hands with soap
For a healthy person with a strong immune system, washing your hands thoroughly with soap is enough to protect yourself from pathogens. Nevertheless, a disinfectant suggests more security. On the other hand, if people with a weakened immune system or people who are susceptible to infections live in the household, disinfectants make sense. Otherwise, thorough hand washing is sufficient, as confirmed by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI). The surfactants in the soap damage the envelope of the virus, which inactivates it. At the same time, the surfactants, the friction of the hands when washing and the water flush viruses and dirt from the skin’s surface.
2. Hard alcohol
According to the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) , a disinfectant must be labeled “limited virucidal”, “limited virucidal PLUS” or “virucidal” in order to be effective. The Deutsche Apothekerzeitung also recommends disinfectants with at least 62% ethanol or a comparable propanol content in order to damage the envelope of the virus. However, since disinfectants with this ethanol or propanol content are hardly available anymore, high-proof drinking alcohol such as absinthe or straw rum can also help.
If you don’t have a problem smelling a little like alcohol, you can put it in a small bottle, e.g. B. those for hand luggage, fill and take with you on the go.
3. Melissengeist
Spirit of lemon balm can still be bought in many drugstores and health food stores. The product is actually used to improve general well-being and to strengthen and invigorate nerves and cardiovascular systems with inner restlessness and nervousness. Depending on the manufacturer, it contains around 60% or more ethanol and is therefore effective against the envelope of the corona virus. Unlike spirits, the remedy is also intended for external use .
Cologne water works like lemon balm spirit: depending on the manufacturer, the product contains 70 to 85% alcohol, but is significantly more expensive than the other disinfection alternatives.
Which means are not suitable?
The World Health Organization (WHO) has currently put two recipes for the production of disinfectants into circulation. However, the chemicals are expensive and the effort and risk of something going wrong during production are too great , so it is not recommended to make the disinfectant yourself.
Likewise, hygiene hand gels and cleaning wipes that have an antibacterial effect are useless against viruses. The products that can often be bought in drugstores cannot fight viruses, but bacteria can. Even fungicides (against fungi) cannot kill viruses.
