DePaul has built more than 700 hand sanitizing stations for the Loop and Lincoln Park Campuses. (DePaul University/Maria Toscano)This article is part of the university's Sanitization 101 Series, providing the DePaul community with in-depth information on the university's COVID-19 precautions, preparations and tips on how to Take Care DePaul.
Hand sanitizer.
Before the pandemic, it was a small bottle of liquid tossed in a backpack, or a container on the counter at the doctor's office or your pharmacy. Now, it's a hot commodity at the store and a critical tool for keeping yourself and others safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Over the summer, DePaul has worked hard to prepare for the university's phased return to campus. The university has built and installed more than 700 hand sanitizer stations throughout the Loop and Lincoln Park Campuses in hallways, classrooms, office suites, common areas and residence halls.
About DePaul's Sanitizer
The liquid sanitizer is formulated by the World Health Organization. It has a higher concentration of disinfectant when compared to others, killing 99.9 percent of germs with an alcohol content of 80 percent.
Each station is calibrated to dispense one full pump of liquid sanitizer or approximately 3mL. This is the appropriate amount required to disinfect an adult with small to medium-sized hands. Adults with larger hands should use a second full pump.
DePaul's Sanitizer: Not Just for Hands
The WHO-formulated sanitizer is multi-purpose. Not only can it be used directly on hands, but also the university is encouraging faculty, staff and students on campus to apply it to a paper towel and wipe down high-touch areas such as computer keyboards, desks, tables and door handles.
To disinfect a high-touch area with DePaul's sanitizer:
- Take one paper towel and form it into a cup shape in your hand.
- Apply one to two pumps of liquid hand sanitizer into the cupped paper towel and fold in the edges to saturate the entire towel without spilling.
- Disinfect the high-touch area. Apply additional sanitizer to the same paper towel, if there is a need to disinfect a larger surface.
- Allow the disinfected surface to air dry before using it.
- Spread the paper towel out at the edge of your workspace and allow the alcohol to dry for several minutes before discarding it in the trash. Used paper towels are not recyclable and should not be placed into paper recycling bins.
Sanitizer Precautions
While DePaul's sanitizer is safe under most conditions, it's important to remember these three general precautions:
- Avoid open flames, smoking or other potential ignition sources until all used sanitizer has dried thoroughly.
- Do not use sanitizer for anything other than its intended purpose.
- Do not use sanitizer to disinfect musical instruments or fine woodwork. It could cause damage to those surfaces.
Regularly visit the Return to Campus website for more information, guidance and resources on the university's COVID-19 efforts, and take a moment to review and commit to the DePaul Community's Health and Safety Pledge.
Thank you for taking care of each other. We're all in this together.