It’s something I never thought would happen, but I’m becoming a bit of a connoisseur… of hand sanitizer.
It’s not like I never used the stuff, but it wasn’t common until last year. There were places, like hospitals, that had hand sanitizer available. I’d use it when I had occasion to be there. Some were better than others. Maybe not as far as the actual sanitizer aspect goes, but they all seem to have different smells and consistency.
Now, my horizon of hand sanitizer has broadened considerably.
I have come to recognize the ones I really like, and eagerly give myself a squirt whenever I see them. But there are others I avoid. Not that I don’t use a hand sanitizer, but I usually also have my own with me.
But there are thin hand sanitizers, that are just around the consistency of water. I try to avoid some of those. There are others that are like gels. There are those that have a rather pleasant odor. There are some that smell like alcohol. There are others that I don’t know what herbs and spices they mixed up to put in them, but they probably should have left them alone. Each seems to be unique.
The ones that smell really good may not work very well at keeping my hands away from my face, since I will tend to savor the smell. It may not be ideal, but at least the hands I am putting near my mouth have been recently sanitized.
But I find I have come to recognize the ones I prefer. Almost every business has a bottle sitting out somewhere. I also have one in my coat, one in my car and several at home. If I like the one I see sitting out, I will use it. If not, I may use my own. But I have developed preferences over the past year. Some I like, some I don’t.
But I’m really looking for businesses to have a position similar to a sommelier. A person who would suggest the best sanitizer as you enter. Ask your smell and consistency preferences and recommend what best fits.
Eventually, the pandemic will go away. But maybe some of the things we have been doing to fight it should be sticking around.
