In what scenarios should hand sanitizer be used instead of soap and water?

Using hand sanitizer instead of soap and water is most appropriate in situations where soap and water are not readily available, and the hands are not visibly dirty. Hand sanitizers are effective at killing many types of germs, provided that the hands do not have significant dirt, grease, or bodily fluids on them, which can interfere with the sanitizer's effectiveness.

In cases where hands are visibly dirty, such as after using the restroom or handling food ingredients, washing with soap and water is essential to physically remove dirt and germs. Similarly, hand sanitizers are not suitable during food handling or when assisting patients if the hands are contaminated, because the sanitizers may not effectively clean thoroughly soiled hands. Therefore, using hand sanitizer is effective in specific circumstances where physical debris on the hands is not a barrier to germ-killing efficacy.