Prelunch Hand Wash

I heard that our clerical employees had become health conscious and were using a special hand wash prior to lunch. I got curious, and asked them to show what they were using to wash their hands. One of them opened the steel cupboard and produced the bottle of the hand wash solution. “This is the hand wash solution the doctors use after examining a patient, before examining another patient, so as not to transfer infection from the first patient to the next one” I said. “Yes. The nurse gave it to us. It is on schedule” they explained. “That is all right” I said. “Please read the ingredients of the solution.” So the person who had taken the bottle out of the cupboard took it from me and read the ingredients. “Dextropropoxy polyethoxy ... something, and ....something propanol... and ....” “Those are alcohol based antiseptics” I said. “There is a color added too. Please see if they are safe to be ingested.” So she searched the label of the bottle and finally said “the label does not say the contents are safe for ingestion.” “How long have you been using this hand wash prior to lunch?” I asked. “One month” they said. They seemed a little worried. “So you have been ingesting these chemicals for month. We don't know what are the effects of these on the human body if ingested. Perhaps you are chronically poisoned. Show me your hands” I said. The leader showed me both of her palms. “See these dirt marks? That dirt does not go away with this hand wash. You are ingesting all the dirt you pick up during your journey to the workplace and during your work too. Why do you not use soap and water instead?” “We were using soap and water in the past. But the nurse said ...” Perhaps they were impressed with the technology, which was supposed to kill all germs and resulted in dry hands. “I wonder if the nurse is using the same hand wash before her lunch and if so, for how long” I said. The nurse was not around, so I could not educate her. “Think carefully before you change your health practices.” “Yes sir” they said.