Hand Sanitizer & Your Tank

[YankeeTankee]

I'm just putting out a reminder that products like hand sanitizers can leave a residue on your skin after they dry/the alcohol has evaporated. A lot of you may be using these during current times, and rightly so!

Be careful about reaching into your tank after using these products, as some of this can come off and effect your tank negatively esp. small nano tanks.

Thoroughly rinse and or use gloves if you're going through almond scented purell like there's no tomorrow.

That's all!

 

[AZMSGT]

I wash my hands with plain ivory unscented bar soap before ever putting them into the tank. Also wash them with the same soap after I’m done.

good reminder on the sanitizer though.

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

Great reminder! Also goes for fancy bath and body scents lol!

 

[Dr. Dendrostein]

I'm just putting out a reminder that products like hand sanitizers can leave a residue on your skin after they dry/the alcohol has evaporated. A lot of you may be using these during current times, and rightly so!

Be careful about reaching into your tank after using these products, as some of this can come off and effect your tank negatively esp. small nano tanks.

Thoroughly rinse and or use gloves if you're going through almond scented purell like there's no tomorrow.

That's all!

Good to know. Thanks

 

[The Aquatic Arsenal]

Great PSA

 

[siggy]

I use dry skin stuff during the winter and have to remind myself to scrub or forgo if im working on the tank.
Someone mentioned the fragrance stuff is not good for our tanks. ????

 

[Greg P]

Something else to keep in mind is that hand sanitizers change the pH of your skin making you more vulnerable to anything in your tank water.
I use Sunlight dish soap as it's very easy to rinse off before I touch the tank water, and wash again after as @AZMSGT mentioned.

 

[SliceGolfer]

I always wear an elbow length neoprene glove whenever I put my hand in the tank. I started doing this when I noticed a connection with alk consumption halting every time my bare hand entered the tank.

 

[ByronP]

I am soooo guilty. I do it and catch myself elbow deep and then feel sooo bad about it. Ahhh gota stop it.

Also I use hand sanitizer in general because I have kids and the gf is a nurse not because of any viral outbreak.

 

[reefiniteasy]

I’ve been using this all year in my classroom. Sometimes even before my hands go in the tank. I don’t know what kind of residue it leaves but in 8 months I’ve had no issues. I guess I’ve been lucky.

 

[Jamesmost]

I wash with Titos, then add a few olives....
Tank likes Vodka
test Po4 and good night

 

[Hemmdog]

Great PSA. When I was noob I was in banking at the time, lots of hand shakes, lots of hand sanitizer. I put my hands in the tank all the time not realizing the residue the sanitizer was leaving on me. Once I stopped using the hand sanitizer my tank really started to take off: coralline, lps, sps, even fish health improved resulting in more vivid coloration. I thought my tank looked good before too, like some comments I’m reading on here, but I testify that it really is harmful to our tanks and always wash your hands and arms throughly to remove any sanitizer, soap, cologne, French fry grease, etc. before placing bare arms in the tank.

In the past few months I only use shoulder length reefing gloves if I’m going in the tank. The improvements stated in the previous paragraph are even more noticeable with full length gloves.

I’m also a big proponent of not burning candles or using scent diffusers while we are on the topic of oils getting into your aquarium.

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

To make things super easy for me I just don’t wash my hands. I’d rather not risk my tank crashing because of some new virus :/.


As people are stunned and jaws hitting the floor I wash my hands way too much lol. But the best I have found is dawn dish soap with hot water. It’s soft enough for a baby duck. It’s also what they use to clean ducks etc when there is an oil spill. Yes I highly advise everyone to be safe and simply wash your hands .

 

[YankeeTankee]

Big fan of gloves myself. Protects the tank from me and vice versa!

 

[Greg P]

..... But the best I have found is dawn dish soap with hot water. It’s soft enough for a baby duck. It’s also what they use to clean ducks etc when there is an oil spill.....

You'd think Dawn is good, but their media hype is just that, according to this site's info;

Dish Soaps: The Good, The Bad and The Toxic

Toxic Dish Soaps

www.practiganic.com

"Knowing that Dawn was not a great dish soap, I wanted to know the facts. I was surprised to learn that Dawn doesn't even list it's ingredients on the bottle. If it's so great, what are they hiding? Without even looking at a label, you can see that it has added dyes and synthetic fragrances, neither are ever good or natural! The Environmental Working Group gave Dawn a 'D' grade because of it containing methylisothiazolinone, which is a "High Concern: acute aquatic toxicity; Some Concern: skin irritation/allergies/damage". Sounds delightful, right? Dawn also contains 1 4-dioxane which is considered a groundwater contaminant."

 

[MnFish1]

I think it depends on the size of the tank. that said always a good idea to rinse your hands before and wash them tiah antibacterialal soap after putting them in. gloves are another good idea....frankly most of the stuff in hand sanitizer will not just a large tank either way

 

[Sarah24!]

You'd think Dawn is good, but their media hype is just that, according to this site's info;

Dish Soaps: The Good, The Bad and The Toxic

Toxic Dish Soaps

www.practiganic.com

"Knowing that Dawn was not a great dish soap, I wanted to know the facts. I was surprised to learn that Dawn doesn't even list it's ingredients on the bottle. If it's so great, what are they hiding? Without even looking at a label, you can see that it has added dyes and synthetic fragrances, neither are ever good or natural! The Environmental Working Group gave Dawn a 'D' grade because of it containing methylisothiazolinone, which is a "High Concern: acute aquatic toxicity; Some Concern: skin irritation/allergies/damage". Sounds delightful, right? Dawn also contains 1 4-dioxane which is considered a groundwater contaminant."

Hello,

Yes at the moment I don’t have proof Dawn is the best or worse. But the article you posted is pretty baseless and doesn’t even name the top ten. It only goes into detail of how to make your own from their own use. If dawn was sooo terrible peta and animal control would not authorize it. Dawn is good for cutting oil mainly,
And it’s gentle enough for animals. Now is it good for corals who knows. But as far as washing my hands it’s more than plenty and the fact well at the er I work at,
Most medical staff their prefer it over others. One of my brothers is a mechanic technician and they prefer it because it doesn’t rip their hands apart.

Too be just honest I don’t know how it would affect a tank. But the source you provided showed no scientific facts studies, even minor studies. It was to promote a do it your self hand soap. It may work great on hands what about pots and pans etc? Nor does it mention if it’s even reed safe at all. There are no studies that I have found or been able to see other wise including his own.

The op is very correct salt water will absolutely strip perfume, lotion etc from your hands into the tank. Best way is to not use any. I don’t spray perfume on my wrists even. Plus per work we can’t wear it anyway. However from peta and other animal watch dogs, they all prefer to use dawn (well ones I found and listed, very possible others exist.

 

[Greg P]

... But the article you posted is pretty baseless and doesn’t even name the top ten...

Agreed, just the name of the chemical in Dawn was enough for me to steer clear , and is why I linked/quoted it.
I mentioned the soap I prefer as it doesn't have any overly hazardous chems in it.
And sure, Dawn is just fine for external use on animals, but as you mentioned and is my concern, what does it do to fish/corals etc is why I'd not use it before playing in my tank.

 

[Greg P]

What I really dislike is having to use the auto-soap dispenser after visiting my Mother-In-Law in hospice. There are no towels or a sink near the exit to clean the residue off, nor is there any soap/sanitizer near her washroom. I'm left with wiping my hands all over my jeans and still get residue on my steering wheel ugh.

 

[fishguy242]

i keep a 5 gallon bucket 4 gallons bleach 1/2 gal water in sink to clean misc items not to cross contaminate ,just dip arm into ,rinse w tap dive in ,for what is worth