Purell is an instant hand sanitizer made of ethyl alcohol which claims to kill "99.99%" of most common germs that may cause illness in as little as 15 seconds. Its active ingredient is ethanol (63% w/w). It is used by wetting one's hands thoroughly with the product, then briskly rubbing one's hands together until dry. The brand is owned by Gojo Industries. Purell was introduced to the market in 1996. PURELL® Green Certified Instant Hand Sanitizer is the first hand sanitizer to meet EcoLogo™ CCD-170 standards.[1]
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Pfizer acquired the exclusive rights to distribute Purell in the consumer market from GOJO Industries in 2004,[2] and on June 26, 2006, Johnson & Johnson announced its acquisition of the Pfizer Consumer Healthcare division, which includes the Purell brand.[3] In 2010, GOJO bought the brand back from Johnson & Johnson.[4]
The Chicago Tribune reported that children have become inebriated by ingesting Purell. One child's ingestion of the hand sanitizer caused her blood alcohol level to reach 0.218; Purell contains 63% ethyl alcohol, while other hand sanitizers contain isopropanol which would likely have been fatal in the same dose.[5][6] The product packaging recommends that the product be "kept out of the reach of children".[7]
The product is flammable and may discolor fabrics, which are all mentioned in the product label. Besides ethyl alcohol it contains water, isopropyl alcohol, glycerin, carbomer, fragrance, aminomethyl propanol, propylene glycol, isopropyl myristate, and tocopheryl acetate.
Alcohol based hand sanitisers are poor at killing viruses. ABC News reported: "Water removed 96 percent of the virus; liquid antibacterial soap removed 88 percent; and the hand sanitizer removed only 46 percent."[8]