This study was done to determine the antimicrobial efficacy of commercial hand sanitizers available in Zamboanga City. Five brands of the most commonly sold hand sanitizers in department stores, pharmacies and a novelty shop were selected and samples from each were collected using purposive sampling. In clinical testing, the specimen was obtained before and after the application of hand sanitizer on test subjects. Cultivation of hand-derived bacteria in nutrient agar plates, followed by themeasurement of the bacterial biomass or the weight of bacterial growth was done afterwards. In vitro bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects were determined using bacterial biomass, viable cell count, and zones of inhibition. Ethanol concentration was also measured for each brand of hand sanitizer and compared with antimicrobial efficacy. Results showed that 2 out of 5 brands with an alcohol content of 63% demonstrated the highest inhibition of bacterial population growth (61%) as well as the highest bactericidal activity (2.4 mm inhibition zone). One brand was measured to contain 7.6% alcohol concentration and produced no inhibitory effects on bacterial biomass and no inhibition zones. Tests showed effectiveness of some hand sanitizer brands with at least 60% alcohol content to inhibit, reduce, and kill bacterial cells while some brands claiming to have sanitizing efficacy had less than 60% alcohol content yielding poor antimicrobial effects.

Keyword: Hand sanitation