The FDA is working to address the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and keep you and your family informed on the latest developments. Here are answers to some frequently asked questions from consumers about hand sanitizers and disinfectants:
Q: What is the risk of using a hand sanitizer that contains methanol (wood alcohol)?
A: The FDA is warning consumers and health care professionals about hand sanitizers that contain methanol, also known as wood alcohol, because it is a dangerous and toxic substance. Methanol can cause serious side effects when absorbed through the skin and can cause blindness or death when swallowed. Do not use any products on this list of hand sanitizers with potential methanol contamination, and continue checking this list often as it is being updated daily.
Check your hand sanitizer products to see if they are on this list and dispose of them immediately if they are. Most hand sanitizers found to contain methanol do not list it as an ingredient on the label (since it is not an acceptable ingredient in the product), so it’s important to check the FDA’s list to see if the company or product is included. Visit FDA Updates on Hand Sanitizers with Methanol for more information.
Q: What should I do with hand sanitizer that contains methanol (wood alcohol)?
A: If you have one of the products on this list of hand sanitizers with potential methanol contamination, you should immediately stop using it and dispose of the product, ideally in a hazardous waste container. Because these hand sanitizers contain significant amounts of methanol, do not pour these products down the drain or flush them.
Contact your local waste management and recycling center for more information on hazardous waste disposal.
Q: What should people do that have been exposed to hand sanitizer with potential methanol contamination?
A: Methanol exposure can result in nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death.
Although people using these products on their hands are at risk for methanol poisoning, young children who accidentally swallow these products and adolescents and adults who drink these products as an alcohol (ethanol) substitute are most at risk. People who have been exposed to hand sanitizer containing methanol and are experiencing symptoms should seek immediate medical treatment for potential reversal of toxic effects of methanol poisoning.
Q: Does spraying people with disinfectant lower the spread of COVID-19?
A. Currently there are no data showing that spraying people with aerosolized disinfectants, or having people walk through tunnels or rooms where disinfectant is in the air, can treat, prevent, or lower the spread of COVID-19.
Surface disinfectants should not be used on people or animals. Disinfectant products, such as sprays, wipes, or liquids, are to be used only on hard, non-porous surfaces (materials that do not absorb liquids easily), such as floors and countertops. CDC provides information regarding disinfectant practices for surfaces in the Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools, and Homes.
Human antiseptic drugs, such as hand sanitizers, are intended for use on human skin, but are not intended for aerosolization (to be sprayed in the air in very small droplets). Due to serious safety concerns, including the risk of inhalational toxicity and flammability, the FDA’s temporary policies for alcohol-based hand sanitizers during the COVID-19 public health emergency specifically do not apply to aerosol sprays. In addition, hand sanitizers are intended for use on the hands, and should never be used over larger body surfaces, swallowed, or inhaled.
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