Are hand sanitizers actually good for us?

Sanitizers are really handy,especially when soap and water aren't within reach. But can we use them often or should we avoid them all together?
Hand sanitizers contain ingredients like alcohol which is often 70% and works to kill the microbes. When left on the skin for 30 seconds or longer,it can kill 99.99% of bacteria present and even certain types of viruses like Influenza A. Sanitizers break open the cell membranes of these bacteria or the biological envelopes of viruses although they're ineffective against spore releasing bacteria. There are also non - alcohol based sanitizers including other ingredients,but depending on their combination,they can just prevent bacterial reproduction. Despite the fact that sanitizer can destroy germs,soap and water actually removes them from the hands and is the superior method of infection control.
The temperature of the water also matters. While hot water can kill bacteria,it will only happen at 99.98 degree Celsius which would burn our skin,so save some energy and wash with cold water. Of course,soap can also be antibacterial and these antibacterial soaps often contain Triclosan. But they're typically way below the effective 1% concentration required to cause bacterial side effects. Triclosan is linked to promoting antibiotic resistance in bacteria in a process called 'cross - resistance'. As bacteria become resistant to Triclosan,they simultaneously evolve to resist the effects of other antibiotics. The common misconception is that hand sanitizer causes bacterial resistance as well. No this is not true as they primarily use alcohol as their active ingredient. But some brands of sanitizers do include antibacterial ingredients like Triclosan. So it's important to be aware that at the end of the day,our best bet would be using regular soap and washing with cold water,saving santizers for sinkless situations and avoiding antibacterial soaps for the sake of our health.