When is hand sanitizer an acceptable alternative to hand washing?

Hand sanitizer is an acceptable alternative to hand washing primarily when soap and water are not available and the hands are not visibly soiled. This is because hand sanitizers are effective in reducing the number of germs on hands, but they do not remove dirt, grease, or food particles. If hands are visibly dirty, washing with soap and water is necessary to effectively clean them.

Furthermore, using hand sanitizer after eating is not an ideal scenario, as food residues may still be present, which could inhibit the sanitizer's effectiveness. Similarly, using hand sanitizer before handling food is important but should only follow proper hand washing unless the circumstances dictate otherwise, such as the lack of soap and water. Thus, the key condition for using hand sanitizer lies in the absence of visible dirt and the non-availability of traditional washing methods.