Hand sanitizers vs Soap

Question

Can I use a hand sanitizer such as purell as a permanent substitute for washing my hands with good ol soap and water?

Answer 1

Technically yes.  But I find that it dries out your skin a lot more than soap because it's alcohol based.  You also won't get any debris off your hands using a sanitizer.  So no, I wouldn't suggest it as a permanent substitute... you'd fry your hands.

Answer 2

Sanitizers kill germs but don't remove debris.  Therefore, whatever (dirt, grease, etc.) you have on your hands is likely to remain on your hands, until you wash it off.  Also, sanitizers are indiscriminate and will kill off beneficial germs as well and there are some things that can still make a person ill or cause an allergic reaction even if they have been disinfected.