Hand sanitiser and surface disinfectant wipes often end up in the same supply cupboard, but they're built to do different jobs. Getting the two mixed up — or relying on just one — can leave gaps in your workplace hygiene routine.
Hand sanitiser: for hands, between washes
Alcohol-based hand sanitiser (most workplace products sit around 70–75% ethanol) is designed to quickly reduce germs on hands when soap and water aren't available. It works best on hands that are visibly clean — sanitiser is far less effective on hands that are visibly dirty or greasy, where proper handwashing is still the better option. Rinse-free formulas with added moisturisers (like aloe extract) are worth choosing for staff who sanitise many times a day, since plain alcohol formulas can dry out skin with repeated use.
Surface wipes: for equipment and surfaces, not hands
Detergent and disinfectant wipes are formulated to clean and disinfect hard, non-porous surfaces — door handles, countertops, shared equipment, medical surfaces. Look for TGA-listed disinfectant wipes if you need a documented kill rate against bacteria and viruses for a clinical or food-handling setting; general-purpose detergent wipes are suited to routine cleaning where a lower level of disinfection is enough. Wipes are not designed for skin, and sanitiser isn't designed for surfaces — each does its job better when it stays in its lane.
A simple routine that actually gets used
The best hygiene setup is the one your team will actually follow. A few practical habits worth building in:
• Place a sanitiser pump at entry points and shared high-traffic areas, not just in the bathroom.
• Keep a tub of surface wipes at each workstation or shared piece of equipment, rather than one central tub that people have to walk to.
• Wipe down shared surfaces at natural breakpoints — between customers, at shift changeover, before and after using shared tools.
• Restock before you run out, not after — an empty dispenser trains people to skip the step entirely.
Buying for a whole site
For workplaces going through sanitiser and wipes regularly, carton pricing works out considerably cheaper than buying single bottles or tubs as needed. Our Bulk Deals range covers both, so you can stock your entire site's hygiene routine in one order.