Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, it is safe to use all PURELL® products during pregnancy and nursing.

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PURELL® products should be stored at temperatures from 0-43°C (32-109.4°F) for the product shelf life and expiration.

To learn about alcohol-based hand rubs and fire safety please visit The GOJO Guide to Fire Safety and Alcohol-Based Hand Rubs.

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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not allow manufacturers of hand sanitizer or soap to make claims regarding the efficacy of these products against monkeypox or any virus. A claim around the efficacy of PURELL^® Hand Sanitizer against any specific virus, including monkeypox, would be an off-label claim and not permitted under the FDA rules.

PURELL^® Surface Sanitizer and Disinfectant Sprays and Wipes have demonstrated effectiveness against viruses similar to monkeypox virus on hard, nonporous surfaces. PURELL^® Surface Sanitizer and Disinfectant Spray can be used against monkeypox virus when used in accordance with the directions for use against Feline Calicivirus (30 second kill time). PURELL^® Surface Sanitizer and Disinfectant Wipes can be used against monkeypox virus when used in accordance with the directions for use against Feline Calicivirus (5 minute kill time). Refer to the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/index.html for additional information on monkeypox.

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To discourage misuse by ingestion, PURELL® Hand Sanitizer contains denaturants, which are unpleasant-tasting ingredients that make the products undesirable to drink. Labels on PURELL® Hand Sanitizer provide instructions to follow in the event of ingestion. Label instructions state: "If swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away." Consistent with best practices for all products used around children, always supervise PURELL® Hand Sanitizer use by children under six years of age or those whose judgment may be impaired.

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PURELL® Hand Sanitizer is safely shipped all over the world in large and small quantities and often experiences extreme temperature storage conditions in automobiles, trucks, boats (shipping containers), and aircraft. While PURELL® Hand Sanitizer contains 70% ethyl alcohol and is considered flammable, it will not self-ignite. A high concentration of ethanol vapors and an ignition source (such as a spark or flame) would need to be present to cause a fire, not an explosion. These extreme conditions typically do not occur in an automobile or truck. We do recommend keeping the product away from fire or flame.

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The expiration date indicates the end of the shelf-life for a specific product. It is based on the date of manufacture of that product. Generally, the expiration date is 3 years from the date of manufacture. The safety and efficacy of the product can be guaranteed up to the expiration date.

This recommendation regarding the use of expired product does not apply to all GOJO products. If you have a question regarding the use of other expired products, please contact 1-800-321-9647.

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PURELL® Hand Sanitizer is safely shipped all over the world in large and small quantities and often experiences extreme temperature storage conditions in automobiles, trucks, boats (shipping containers), and aircraft. Although it is recommended that PURELL® Hand Sanitizer be stored at less than 110° F (43° C), short term storage (weeks to months) at higher temperatures will not impact the product safety or efficacy. While PURELL® Hand Sanitizer contains 70% ethyl alcohol and is considered flammable, it will not self-ignite. Even under extremely high temperatures, a high concentration of ethanol vapors and an ignition source (such as a spark or flame) would need to be present to cause a fire, not explosion. These extreme conditions typically do not occur in an automobile or truck. Follow the directions and warnings on the product label.

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We have no reports of adverse effects of PURELL® alcohol-based hand sanitizer on fine jewelry composed of gold, silver, or platinum. However, we recommend that you use caution while wearing costume jewelry as the product might affect painted surfaces. Please refer to the care instructions provided by the jewelry manufacturer.

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GOJO manufactures the majority of PURELL® hand sanitizer in Wooster and Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio.

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First, apply enough to thoroughly wet your hands, approximately the size of a quarter. Rub your hands together briskly until your hands are dry – making sure to cover all surfaces of your hands and fingers, including your fingertips, thumbs and in between your fingers. This should take around 15-20 seconds with a well-formulated product like PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizers, but rubbing time will vary based on formulation.

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Yes. Our team of regulatory and safety experts carefully evaluate our formulas and rigorously test both the alcohol and the finished PURELL® Hand Sanitizer to ensure it meets all FDA drug product quality requirements. Quality standards and specifications for alcohol used in pharmaceuticals like hand sanitizers are set by US Pharmacopeia (USP) and enforced by the FDA. Beyond FDA guidance, we also formulate to the standards of third-party certifications, which offer a trusted outside voice to help customers quickly identify a product with higher levels of environmental and/or social performance and products with ingredient safety. Our formulation scientists have strict requirements for our ingredients and select them specifically so that the formulation is perfectly balanced for safety, efficacy, sustainability, and skin health.

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No. PURELL^® Hand Sanitizer does not contain triclosan. The active ingredient in PURELL^® Hand Sanitizer is ethyl alcohol.

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No. PURELL® Hand Sanitizer is not formulated with methanol. The active ingredient in PURELL® Hand Sanitizer is ethyl alcohol, which we rigorously test to ensure both the alcohol and the finished PURELL® Hand Sanitizer meets FDA drug product quality requirements.

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Based on the information provided by our suppliers, there is no gluten expected to be present in our product. In order to provide sustainable solutions, the ethyl alcohol (ethanol) used to manufacture PURELL® alcohol-based hand sanitizer is obtained from natural sources that include cereal grains.

The manufacturer of the ethanol used by GOJO has indicated to us that they use distillation to provide a highly purified material that contains no proteins or high molecular weight material.

The distillation process is considered to be effective at separating the gluten molecules from the ethanol. Thus, it is generally accepted that distilled alcohol is gluten-free. This opinion is also affirmed by the Celiac Disease Foundation.

Some people with Celiac Disease can safely use topical products containing gluten. However, because each situation is unique, we recommend you discuss this information with your physician to determine if the use of PURELL® alcohol-based hand sanitizer is the right solution for you.

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Under no circumstances should PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer or PURELL® Surface Disinfectant Spray be ingested or injected into the body. PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer is an alcohol-based hand sanitizer used to safely and effectively kill germs on the hands that may cause illness. All hand sanitizers are for external use only and should be used as directed on the product labels. Likewise, PURELL® Surface Spray is used to effectively kill germs on hard and soft surfaces, is for external use only and should be used as directed on the product labels.

Labels on all PURELL® products provide instructions to follow in the event of ingestion. Label instructions state: "If swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.

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These usually arrive by text, video or social media, including car wrap scams or other fraudulent campaigns.

Thieves are posing as representatives from GOJO and other reputable companies in order to gain access to your personal information. These scams are using LinkedIn, Facebook and other social media platforms to pose as representatives of GOJO or one of our staffing providers. In some cases, they are interviewing job seekers through technologies such as Google Hangout, Skype, Facetime, Yahoo Messenger, Facebook Messenger, or text message.

As part of this scam, a job or contract offer is usually made during the first interview or contact with the individual, which GOJO does not do. The identity thief then requests the job applicant’s personal information, citing the information is necessary for employment. GOJO will only request personal information upon your first day of employment.

If you have been approached through these means, or you are concerned about the authenticity of a GOJO job offer, please feel free to contact our GOJO Customer Service Department at 1-800-321-9647 M-F, 8:00 am to 5:00 pm EST or contact the following agencies:

• Ohio Attorney General
  Website: http://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/
  Phone Number: 614-466-4986
  Toll Free: 1-800-282-0515

• Internet Crime Complaint Center
  https://www.ic3.gov/default.aspx

• Federal Trade Commission
  https://www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov/Information#crnt&panel1-1

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Thanks for your interest, but GOJO is a privately held, Family Enterprise, so it is not available on the Stock Exchange.

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The expiration date indicates the end of the shelf-life for a specific product. It is based on the date of manufacture of that product. Generally, the expiration date is 3 years from the date of manufacture. The safety and efficacy of the product can be guaranteed up to the expiration date.

Based on stability data we provided to the FDA, the FDA is alerting health care professionals and patients of updated dates through which some products, including PURELL® hand sanitizer, may be used beyond their labeled expiration date during this time of shortage. The FDA notes, to help ensure safety, these products should have been - and should continue to be - stored as labeled. Visit the FDA website for more extended use date information. Download the extended expiration date list for PURELL® Hand Sanitizers.

If you have a question about your own product and its expiration date please contact us at 1-800-321-9647.

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Yes. Hand sanitizer does expire. Manufacturing specifications for hand sanitizer include such things as active ingredient content (like ethyl or isopropyl alcohol), color, and odor. FDA-approved manufacturers do strict stability testing to ensure the shelf life of the hand sanitizer. Those given specifications will not last forever.

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The expiration date on hand sanitizer bottles indicates the end of the shelf life for a specific product – meaning how long it retains its strength, quality, and purity when it is stored according to its labeled storage conditions. The safety and efficacy of the product can be guaranteed up to the expiration date.

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The expiration date for hand sanitizer is typically 3-5 years after that product's manufacture date. The expiration date of PURELL® hand sanitizer is determined through product stability testing, and our products are typically labeled with an expiration date of 5 years from the date of manufacture.

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Yes. Expired hand sanitizers are less effective. When the active ingredient is less than its labeled amount, it will not perform as effectively – meaning it may not kill as many germs as it originally did.

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While the FDA requires that hand sanitizers be labeled with an expiration date if the manufacturer doesn't have data supporting at least three years of shelf life, some of the sanitizers produced under the temporary guidance during the pandemic do not have expiration dates. If there is no expiration date, contact the manufacturer and ask them what the expiry is. The manufacturer should be able to tell you when the product was manufactured and what the expiry is based on the lot/batch code printed on the package. 

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Our recommendation is to properly dispose of any hand sanitizer product that is:

- Expired, or without an expiration date

- Not in its original labeled container or product that is mislabeled

- Has a bad odor and/or irritates the skin

- Does not have a lot code number

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Alcohol-based hand sanitizer is flammable as it typically contains at least 60 percent alcohol, so it should not be thrown in the trash or poured down the drain. The EPA says the liquid and vapors in water pipes and sewer systems can cause fires and explosions.

Proper disposal includes following all local, state, and federal disposal requirements and guidelines for hand sanitizer. Distributors should contact their local waste management and recycling center for more information on hazardous waste disposal. For more information, visit the EPA's page on "How to Dispose of and Recycle Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer." 

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To find the expiration date of your hand sanitizer, check the back label of your bottle. The expiration date is printed in a black bar at the bottom of the label.

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Norovirus symptoms usually appear 12 to 48 hours after first exposure to the virus, and last approximately one to three days. The most common symptoms of norovirus are:

• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Nausea
• Stomach pain

Other symptoms include:

• Headache
• Fever
• Body aches

People with norovirus are most contagious when they are sick, and for a few days after they feel better. So, how is it spread? Norovirus spreads quickly and rapidly, people can become infected with it by:

• Eating food or drinking liquids that are contaminated with norovirus, most likely prepared by an individual who is infected with the virus
• Touching surfaces or objects with norovirus on them and then putting your hand or fingers in your mouth
• Having direct contact with a person who is infected with norovirus, for example, when sharing foods, utensils with them¹

View hygiene tools and downloads
Learn more about PURELL® Surface Sprays 

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Norovirus. Retrieved January 24, 2017, from https://www.cdc.gov/features/norovirus/

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• Eating food that is contaminated
• Drinking water that is contaminated
• Touching your hand to your mouth after being in contact with a contaminated surface
• Being in close contact with someone who has norovirus

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Even though norovirus is highly contagious, there are ways you can reduce the risk of its spread. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, follow these steps to reduce the spread of the virus.

1. Practice good hand hygiene. Make sure to wash your hands with soap and water at key moments, especially after using the restroom since the virus can spread through stool. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol can be used in addition to handwashing.
2. Disinfect frequently touched surfaces. Immediately disinfect and clean contaminated surfaces with a disinfectant and cleaner formulated to kill norovirus. For example, PURELL® Surface Sprays are effective against norovirus 
3. Wash laundry thoroughly
4. Wash fruits and vegetables when preparing food; follow proper food preparation guidelines
5. Do not prepare meals when you are sick

Whether you think you might have a cold, flu or norovirus, it’s always important to consult a doctor and take precautionary measures to help you and everyone stay healthy.

View hygiene tools and downloads
Learn more about PURELL® Surface Sprays 

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Norovirus. Retrieved January 24, 2017, from https://www.cdc.gov/features/norovirus/

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The FDA does not allow hand sanitizer brands to make viral claims, but from a scientific perspective, influenza is an enveloped virus. Enveloped viruses in general are easily killed or inactivated by alcohol. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are recommending the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer as a preventive measure for flu prevention.

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Ebola viruses are high risk pathogens that must be contained and are not readily available for laboratory testing. As of today, we are not aware of any hand sanitizers that have been tested against Ebola viruses, including PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer. However, it is important to note that the Ebola virus is an enveloped virus. Enveloped viruses in general are easily killed or inactivated by alcohol. World Health Organization (WHO) and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are recommending the use of alcohol-based hand sanitizer as a preventive measure during this outbreak.

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PURELL® Advanced Hand Sanitizer formulations have not been tested against this virus. EV-D68 is a non-enveloped virus, which is generally hard to kill or inactivate with alcohol. At this time, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending handwashing as a preventative measure against EV-D68.

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GOJO is a purpose-driven company committed to driving sustainability through our solutions and the ways we work. Our sustainability commitment includes taking responsibility for our products and proactively reducing their impacts from development through to the end of life. We are also committed to reducing the impacts of our daily business operations.

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GOJO defines sustainability as being about meeting or exceeding the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet or exceed their own needs. There are three key domains of sustainability:

- Social - Enhancing quality of life and reducing risks to health and well-being

- Environmental - Increasing positive impacts and reducing negative impacts on our ecosystem

- Economic - Building economic strength and prosperity for an enterprise and its stakeholders

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Sustainable Ways of Working, or SWOW^SM, is about changing the way we think and work at GOJO in order to embed sustainability into all aspects of our business. Practicing Sustainable Ways of Working will create value for GOJO and its stakeholders -- employees, customers, suppliers, partners, communities, society and the ecosystem -- now and for generations to come.

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Biodegrades within 28 days as measured by test method OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development) 301 B, a widely accepted test method for measuring the biodegradability of an ingredient or entire product formula.

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PURELL® products included in the GOJO global sustainable solutions portfolio are positioned as “renewable” products and make the supporting claim, “Contains ethanol produced from 100% plant sources.” The description, plant-based or plant-derived is used to distinguish the ethanol in PURELL® from ethanol produced from synthetic or unnatural sources. GOJO also carries a full line of hand soaps and shampoo/shower/bath products that are made, in part, from renewable resources and have earned third-party certification for environmental leadership and proven performance.

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There are two core sustainability benefits designed into GOJO product dispenser refills:

• GOJO SMART-FLEX™ Technology: The sustainable packaging strategy applied to invent GOJO SMART-FLEX technology is known as source reduction. This package is a lightweight and recyclable PET bottle made with 30% less material and the same robustness as a standard rigid HDPE bottle.

  
  

  What is PET? Polyethylene terephthalate, more commonly referred to at PET, is a plastic known for its strength, thermostability and transparency. Both PET and HDPE plastics are commonly used in beverage, food and liquid containers, but PET plastic is lighter in weight while being just as robust. It’s also recyclable. Because of the robustness of PET, GOJO is able to provide the same amount of product to the customer in a package that uses less plastic.

  
  

  We anticipate that this sustainable packaging innovation saves over 250 tons of plastic each year.

• GOJO SANITARY SEALED™ Refills: This packaging strategy targets the GOJO goal of greater social sustainability by reducing the health risks proven inherent with bulk soap refillable reservoirs. SANITARY SEALED refills, which include fresh dispensing nozzles, are sealed at the factory to lock out germs. Bulk soaps, by contrast, are vulnerable to contamination by unsafe levels of bacteria. That's why GOJO SANITARY SEALED refills are the healthy choice.

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Natural glycerin is the natural skin conditioner in PURELL® Brand Hand Sanitizer.

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