AFAIK, normal hand sanitizer is 70% alcohol (concentrations much higher or lower than that are not as effective), plus a few extra ingredients to avoid drying t

AFAIK, normal hand sanitizer is 70% alcohol (concentrations much higher or lower than that are not as effective), plus a few extra ingredients to avoid drying the skin of the hands. Washing the hands with soap is better (there are some microorganisms which are not killed by the alcohol), but needs water for rinsing, so there are many situations where alcohol-based hand sanitizer is more convenient.