> So does it even matter if bacteria are evolving to be slightly more resistant to lower concentrations of alcohol, but are still killed by the level in hand sa

> So does it even matter if bacteria are evolving to be slightly more resistant to lower concentrations of alcohol, but are still killed by the level in hand sanitizers? I imagine yes, it does matter. It's not like hand sanitizer use is absolutely perfect. Let's assume some bacteria always gets past the direct initial 70% alcohol application, but there's residual alcohol that tends to take care of whatever remains. As the bacteria becomes more alcohol resistant, those lucky survivors of the initial direct application become more likely to survive the residual effects.