Is it safe to use hand sanitizer on babies? (2025)

Washing with mild soap and warm water is still the best way to keep your little one's hands clean. That being said, hand sanitizer can be a helpful alternative if soap and water is unavailable. It's not ideal to use hand sanitizer on a baby, because many contain alcohol, which can be harsh on their delicate skin. So before you squeeze hand sanitizer into their tiny palms, here's what you need to know.

Is it safe to use hand sanitizer on my baby?

It's fine to use sparingly when you're out and about, but try not to rely on it too much. Washing with soap and water is always best (ECDC 2020, NHS 2019, WHO nd). If that's out of the question, most alcohol-based hand sanitizers are fine to use on young children, as long as you handle them with care. Keep in mind to:

• Always stay with your child when they're using hand sanitizer.
• Use a pea-sized amount, and rub your child's hands until they're dry, so they don't lick or swallow any gel.
• Stay well away from a spark, flame or any source of static electricity when using hand sanitizer. Although rare, the alcohol could catch fire and cause harm.
• Store the bottle safely out of reach.
  (Baum 2019, About Kids health 2019)

The alcohol content in most hand sanitizers is at least 60 per cent, which is the lowest amount needed to kill germs (Baum 2019, PHAC 2020, Krishna 2020). That's still almost twice as strong as vodka or other spirits (About Kids Health 2019). You want to make sure your child does not get hold of a bottle of sanitizer and try to drink it (Baum 2019).

Baby wipes are alcohol-free, but you'll want to be careful with sanitizing wipes that contain alcohol. Babies and toddlers can suck on them and swallow it, so do not leave wipes where your child can get to them. Also, be sure you're using hand wipes to clean your child, not the wipes that are meant for cleaning the home!

Note that sanitizers and hand wipes do not work as well as soap and water does on dirty or greasy hands (Gold and Ava 2020, NHS 2019, WHO nd). And while they work on some germs, such as coronavirus (ECDC 2020), they don't always work well on others, such as norovirus (Wilson et al 2019).

What if my child swallows hand sanitizer?

If your child licks a little of the gel, there's no need to panic. A tiny amount is rarely harmful (Santos et al 2017). Just wipe their mouth (since it can taste bad) and have them drink some water.

If your child has handled or swallowed a teaspoon or more, they may get:

• irritated eyes
• sickness
• conjunctivitis
• sore mouth
• cough
• tummy ache
  (Santos et al 2017)

Call the poison control centre in your province or territory if you think your child has played with or swallowed hand sanitizer, and they're showing any of these symptoms. Health Canada operates a toll-free number, 1-844 POISON-X, or 1-844-764-7669, in collaboration with four Canadian poison centres, to make it easy to access critical medical advice for poisonings.

The alcohol in hand sanitizer lowers your child's blood sugar level. So, it's often suggested that you give your child something sweet to drink as soon as you realize they've swallowed some (Soloway nd).

When to call 911

If your child faints, has a seizure, has trouble breathing or will not wake up, call 911 immediately (Santos et al 2017).

Is there a safer type of hand sanitizer for kids?

Many hand sanitizers for babies and children are alcohol-free, and for that reason are less likely to make your baby ill if they swallow it (Santos et al 2017). But it comes with a caveat: non-alcohol hand sanitizers may not work so well. They only slow the growth of germs, rather than killing them, so you still need to wash your child's hands with soap and water as soon as you can (CDC 2020).

If you use an alcohol-based sanitizer, those that use ethyl alcohol (the kind in wine and spirits) may be safer than the ones that use isopropyl alcohol (the kind in rubbing alcohol). Isopropyl alcohol is a good germ killer, but it's also more toxic.

It's best to avoid brands with scents, or brightly coloured bottles, as your child may be more likely to want to swallow them. Scents often contain toxins, too (Watson and Luo 2019).

What about other alcohol-free hand sanitizers?

You're better off using an alcohol-based product, but with caution.

Some sanitizers use benzalkonium chloride (BZK) in a water-based foam. It works for far longer than alcohol, it's less toxic, and it's kinder to the skin (Gold and Avva 2020). But alcohol-based hand sanitizers are best for killing germs such as coronavirus (NHS 2019, WHO nd).

A few brands use essential oils to kill germs. The ones that use thyme, oregano or lemon oils can work against certain germs (Man et al 2019). But keep in mind, they're no match for washing hands with soap and water. These oils can also be harmful and are best kept away from babies.

• Read about the common cold and flu in babies.
• Find outwhen to call the doctor for your baby.