Extended Study of Object: Purell Hand Sanitizer

Extended Study of Object: Purell Hand Sanitizer
By Iva Son


- FDA definition - “a supplement or alternative to hand washing with soap and water” (Retrieved from Wikipedia)

- How does it work?
Hand sanitizers work by stripping away the outer layer of oil on the skin. This usually prevents bacteria present in the body from coming to the surface of the hand.
(Retrieved from http://biology.about.com/library/weekly/aa022400a.htm)


- Manufacturer?
Slogan- “Imagine the touchable world”
Kills 99.99% of most common germs that may cause illness as little as 15 seconds.
Specially formulated moisturizers leave hands feeling soft and refreshed even after repeated use

- Target consumers? All but keep it away from children just in case.

- History? On June 27, 2006 Johnson & Johnson announced its acquisition of the Pfizer Consumer Healthcare division, which includes the Purell brand. In 2006, New York Times reported that Purell is heavily used by politicians during election season, when they have to shake countless hands so it attracted more consumers.

- Point of contact? When people are in contact with various objects and need to clean their hands without physically going to the restroom (e.g. bankers, post officers, cashiers…).

- How to use it?
1. Squirt the hand sanitizer into palm of your writing hand. It should be about the size of a quarter.
2. Start rubbing your hands together. Be sure to get every single spot and not miss any part.
3. Sing the "Happy Birthday" song to yourself twice to time yourself, Don't finish until the song is done for the second time.
4. Finish up. Don't dry your hands on a towel, it will be better to let them air dry. You have used hand sanitizer correctly. (Retrieved from http://www.wikihow.com/Use-Hand-Sanitizer)

- Design? Plastic. Simple. Light. Very practical and serves its purpose as a hygienic product. Size varies(2L, 8 fl. oz. (236 mL), 2 fl. oz. (59 mL), 1 fl. oz. (30 mL), 0.5 fl. oz. (15 mL), even wipes) Small ones are small enough to fit into pocket. Large ones can be hung on the wall(hospital-new born babies room). Substance is untangible(?) because it’s kind of liquid.

- Solves problem? Quite. It temporarily and partially kills bacteria in your hand.

- Color? Transparent white, green, pink

- Active ingredient: Ethyl alcohol 62% that are more effective at killing germs than soaps

- Price? 99cents(2oz) to $50(40 oz) – very affordable. It lasts long. Small one lasts about 3weeks-a month?

- Various kinds to fulfill consumer’s needs:
Instant Hand Sanitizer, Instant Hand Sanitizer Moisture Therapy, Instant Hand Sanitizer Ocean Mist, Instant Hand Sanitizer Spring Bloom, with Aloe Instant Hand Sanitizer

- Pros
Handy, you many not able to find places to wash your hands all the time.

- Cons
Harmful to small children. The product is flammable and may discolor fabrics.
Hand sanitizers don't have a positive effect on your immune system. ...
The manufacturers of the products test the products on inanimate surfaces so they are able to derive the claims of 99.9 % of bacteria killed. However, we are moving around and our lives are inconsistent every moment.

- Opposite object?
Soap(hard or liquid). These should be the primary method for washing hands. A full length time to wash hand will take minimum of 10-20seconds (30 seconds recommended)