The one item all of us have been stocking up on amid this whole Covid-19 pandemic, are hand sanitisers.
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A hand sanitiser is a good alternative to soap and water if you’re on the go.
It's so easy to just drop it into your bag for when you’re out and about grabbing essential items.
While hand sanitisers are extremely effective in killing germs, there is one place experts say you should not leave them…
In your car!
Respiratory specialist Dr Kow Ken Siong says the heat can decrease the effectiveness of the hand sanitiser.
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“Because inside the car, the temperature can continue to rise, and at a high temperature, you lose some efficacy in the hand sanitiser as the active ingredient evaporates.
“If you’re running errands and you want to keep it in the car it is fine, but you shouldn’t be leaving it in the car indefinitely.”
Dr Kow’s comments follows a recent report claiming that a car in Sabah caught fire, apparently because of the alcohol-based hand sanitiser that was left inside the hot vehicle.
However, there’s no clear evidence yet that the sanitiser was what triggered the blaze.
In any case, you should be warned that warm hand sanitisers can also irritate the skin, so be cautious when applying it!
By: Roshini Ravindran
