Sanitisers

Hand Sanitiser

Hand sanitiser is one of those workplace supplies where the specification genuinely matters — alcohol content, format, and whether it fits the dispenser on the wall. NXP stocks 21 lines from Tork, Deb, Dettol, Livi, Ocean, Reynard and Qualchem, from 50ml personal bottles to 5L bulk refills.

Alcohol or alcohol-free

Alcohol-based sanitiser is the more effective option against a broader range of germs, and it's what health guidance generally recommends. The effective range is 60–80% alcohol — below 60% it doesn't do the job, and the products here sit at 72% and 80%. It works by drying, which is also why frequent use is drying on the skin; look for formulations with added emollient if staff are using it many times a day, and keep hand cream available.

Two practical limitations: alcohol gel is flammable while wet, so it isn't suitable next to open flame or in some production environments, and it can damage certain finishes if spilled.

Alcohol-free foam — the Livi, Ocean and Reynard products here — is gentler on skin, non-flammable, and doesn't sting broken skin. It's the sensible choice for schools and childcare, where alcohol products present an ingestion risk, and for kitchens and food handling, where flammability and taste transfer matter. It's less broadly effective than alcohol, so it's a trade-off, not a straight substitute.

Gel, foam or liquid

Gel is the familiar format. It spreads easily, coverage is easy to judge, and it's the standard for office and public use.

Foam goes further per pump, drips less, and feels lighter on the hands — which in practice means better compliance, because people are more willing to use it repeatedly. It's the better choice for high-frequency use points.

Liquid and spray formats suit combined hand-and-surface products, like the Dettol 2-in-1, and are handy for vehicles and mobile work.

Sizes: match the format to the location

• 50–90ml personal bottles — handbags, vehicles, tool bags, individual desks, first aid kits.
• 400ml–1L pump bottles — reception counters, meeting rooms, kitchens, workshop benches. Standalone, no dispenser needed.
• 1L cartridges and refills — for wall-mounted dispensers. Higher capacity, lower cost per use, and tidier than bottles on a counter.
• 5L bulk — for refilling smaller bottles and pump dispensers in-house. Lowest cost per litre by a wide margin, and the right buy if you're servicing multiple sites.

Cartons of 6 x 1L are the standard replenishment unit for most offices.

Check the dispenser before ordering refills

This is where orders go wrong. Wall dispensers are proprietary — a cartridge from one system will not fit another. Tork products in this range carry their system code in the product name (S1 and S4), so match the code on your dispenser to the code on the refill. Browse dispensers alongside the refills if you're specifying a new installation.

Touch-free dispensers are worth the extra cost at high-traffic points: nobody touches the unit, compliance goes up because it's effortless, and dosing is consistent rather than dependent on how hard someone pushes.

Where to place it

Hand sanitiser only works if it's where people already are. The points that matter: entrances and reception, immediately outside toilets, kitchens and break rooms, meeting rooms, shared equipment and printers, and vehicle cabs. A single bottle in a kitchen that nobody passes is a compliance box ticked and nothing more.

And it's worth being clear about the limits: sanitiser is for when soap and water aren't available, and it's less effective on visibly dirty or greasy hands. Where hands are actually soiled — workshops, kitchens, healthcare — hand wash at a sink is the primary control, and sanitiser supplements it. Wipes cover the middle ground where there's no sink but hands are grubby.

Ordering

NXP has no minimum order quantity, orders placed by 3pm dispatch the same day from the nearest branch, and freight is free on orders over $50. Sanitiser, hand wash, hand towel and toilet paper are one washroom order — buying them together is cheaper than buying them separately.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage of alcohol should hand sanitiser have?

Between 60% and 80%. Below 60% it isn't reliably effective; the products in this range sit at 72% and 80%. Higher isn't better — very high concentrations evaporate too quickly to work properly.

Is alcohol-free hand sanitiser effective?

It's effective against a narrower range of germs than alcohol-based products, so it's a trade-off. It's the right choice where alcohol isn't suitable — schools and childcare because of ingestion risk, kitchens and food handling because of flammability, and for staff with skin that reacts badly to alcohol.

What's the difference between gel and foam hand sanitiser?

Gel is the traditional format, easy to spread and easy to see coverage. Foam spreads further per pump, drips less and feels lighter, which tends to improve how often people actually use it. Both work; foam usually gets better compliance at high-traffic points.

How do I know which refill fits my dispenser?

Dispenser systems are proprietary and refills aren't interchangeable. Check the system code on the dispenser — Tork units are marked S1, S4 and so on, and those codes appear in the refill product names. If there's no marking, match on the brand and cartridge size.

Is hand sanitiser as good as washing your hands?

No. Soap and water is the primary method, particularly when hands are visibly dirty or greasy — sanitiser doesn't remove soil, it only reduces germs on otherwise clean hands. Sanitiser is for the places and moments where a sink isn't available.