Hand Sanitiser - the New Essential for Hotels and Motels

Published on May 15, 2020

The Covid-19 pandemic has seen HealthPak begin production of 300,000 35ml bottles of hand sanitiser to be available in all of New Zealand’s hotels and motels.

While washing hands with soap is still the gold standard for hygiene, hand sanitiser in rooms adds to a guest’s expectation of cleanliness, says HealthPak General Manager of Sales and Marketing, James Kennedy-Grant.

As life returns to normal and domestic travel increases, having a hand sanitiser in each hotel and motel room will help make the experience a better, healthier and safer experience for guests - an experience they are more likely to share.

That added feeling of safety and cleanliness will help increase the security Kiwis have about travelling domestically again.  The 35ml flip-cap bottles are completely New Zealand made and environmentally friendly, and the unique size means it will be a popular ‘take-away’ for guests.

"It was in the 1950s that hotels in the USA began having individual bathrooms for guests - having previously had communal facilities," Kennedy-Grant says. "With that came the supplying of shampoo and soap for the rooms and now, for the foreseeable future at least, we see having hand sanitiser in the room as the new norm," Kennedy-Grant said.

Health Pak’s hand sanitiser is a New Zealand made 70 percent alcohol, 30 percent water mixture that is completely biodegradable. The water is a crucial ingredient as it slows the product’s evaporation.  "If it was 100 percent alcohol it would evaporate immediately, so you wouldn’t be able to rub it in properly on your hands," Kennedy-Grant says.

The use of hand sanitisers has soared with the Covid-19 pandemic and Kennedy-Grant says they are an ideal instant cleanse for those times when we are out in public.  But washing with soap and water for at least 20 seconds was still better at removing germs and basic soap is just as effective as antibacterial soaps.

Soap and water was also better than sanitiser if hands were covered in dirt, heavily soiled or greasy when handling food, playing sports, gardening, construction work, DIY, outdoor activities etc.  If hand sanitisers are used, it is generally best to wipe hands with a towel or cloth before applying the sanitiser to remove as much dirt and oil as possible.  The sanitiser should be at least 60 percent alcohol based - like Health Pak’s.

Though hand sanitisers will become increasingly popular, Health Pak expects demand for soap (and shampoo) in hotels and motels will remain as strong as ever.  Health Pak manufactures about six million litres of biodegradable shampoo each year and about 400 tonnes of soap - roughly 20 million bars.

You’ll find these products, and the new 35ml hand sanitiser, in almost every hotel and motel in New Zealand.