UC News
Heavenly image of two hands in sky sharing a bottle of Purell hand sanitizer

The Washington Post: The history and mystery of Purell

Use it as a supplement, or a Plan B, not as a miracle goo, say UC-affiliated experts

headshot of Angela Koenig By Angela Koenig 513-558-4625
1 minute read March 27, 2020

An article in The Washington Post describes the medical and cultural impact of hand sanitizers, predominately Purell, during the COVID-19 virus outbreak. Looking back to the late 1980s, the article explains how the company Gojo developed a clear, alcohol-based, emollient-enriched, disinfecting substance that was dispensed by a pump bottle and required no water at all.

Experts representing UC’s James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy weigh in on the efficacy and proper use of the soap and water alternative. The article quotes Pharmaceutical Sciences Alumna Kelly Dobos, a former Gojo cosmetic chemist who now sits on the college’s Board of Advisors, and Professor K.P. Ananth, director of the cosmetic sciences program at the college.

Read the article.

Note: Some platforms require you to disable the ad blocker.

Featured image/Pablo Delcan for The Washington Post

Tags

Related Stories

1

Bearcats ONEchat and Projects will launch the week of Nov. 16

November 12, 2026

Bearcats ONEchat and Projects will be available to all BearcatsGPT users beginning the week of Nov. 16. Together, the new features represent the university's continued effort to provide accessible, user-friendly AI tools that support teaching, learning, research and administrative work across the university community.

2

Cincinnati Stride event to help young people who stutter build confidence

November 12, 2026

For children who stutter, speaking can sometimes be frustrating, anxiety-inducing and a source of low confidence. The University of Cincinnati is a host of Cincinnati Stride, formerly Fluency Friday, which gives kids a chance to connect with others who understand what they're going through. Event organizers recently appeared on both WLWT-TV and WKRC-TV to raise awareness ahead of the free workshop.