Everyone knows how important it is to keep your hands clean, especially during flu season. According to the Centers for Disease Control, simply washing your hands can reduce the spread of respiratory infections by 16 percent and prevent a whopping 50 percent of diarrheal-disease associated deaths. But what if you're stuck in a situation where soap and water aren't available? Hand sanitizer is a great alternative, and can be even more beneficial in certain circumstances, said Rockford pediatrician John Perryman.

"Hand sanitizers with an alcohol content of 60 percent or higher are completely effective in killing bacteria." Perryman said. "Most hand sanitizers are between 60 (percent) to 90 percent alcohol, but you need to be careful and check labels just in case."

Perryman said to get the most out of the hand sanitizer, use at least 3 milliliters (a couple of pumps from a bottle) and rub the sanitizer on your hands for about 15 seconds. This certainly beats having to scrub your hands with soap and water, which most people don't do for long enough anyway.

"The problem with washing your hands is that you have to do it for a while, you have to use a lot of soap and water and you have to scrub hard. They always say sing the "ABC song" while you wash your hands. That's not realistic sometimes, especially for kids," Perryman said. "Hand sanitizer is quick, convenient, and it works."

So when is hand sanitizer ineffective? When there is visible soil on your hands. For those circumstances, the CDC says to make sure to take the time to use soap and water. But, overall, sanitizer is a realistic option in a pinch.

"I use it all the time when I'm working and I would recommend it for those with children, especially when they're out in public." Perryman said.

As far as claims that over-sanitizing leads to inhibiting your immune system, Perryman says you shouldn't be alarmed.

"There are enough germs on your body that you will still be exposed to things. There are also plenty of illnesses that spread through the air. The reason we care so much about keeping our hands clean is because hands are the easiest way for us to become infected since we're constantly touching things."

There is such a thing as sanitizing too much, but it has more to do with personal comfort than affecting your immune system.

"If you wash your hands or use sanitizer all the time, you're going to end up with dry, flaky skin," Perryman said. "Only wash when you have to."

The CDC recommends washing or using hand sanitizer at certain times throughout the day, including before, during and after preparing a meal; before and after caring for someone who is sick; after touching an animal or animal waste; after touching garbage; before eating food and after using the bathroom.

There is, however, a small population of people that use hand sanitizers for something other than their intended purpose. Dr. Raymond Davis, a pediatrician at Rockford Memorial Hospital, says that many hospitals are seeing a rise in the number of teenagers being hospitalized for hand sanitizer abuse.

"Although hand sanitizers serve a great purpose, they can become deadly to these teens that experiment with them." Davis said.

Hand sanitizer typically contains the ingredients ethanol and isopropyl, which act as effectively as large amounts of liquor, especially when teenagers mix the sanitizer with salt.

"Teenagers are always looking for experimentation, and drinking hand sanitizer is an easy high because it's so readily available. They might not be able to get their hands on liquor, but they can walk right into a store and buy sanitizer," Davis said. "People underestimate the amount of alcohol in hand sanitizer. Half an ounce can be as potent as a shot of whiskey to these kids."

Isopropyl and ethanol are strong because they're meant to kill germs, not to be ingested. The possible side effects of consuming these ingredients include cardiovascular problems, blindness and even coma or death.

Although you can't stop a teen from purchasing their own, Davis advises parents to be cautious when buying sanitizer. "Foam sanitizers are much harder to abuse, but if there is a chance your child would use hand sanitizer to get high, just don't keep any around. Stick to hand washing."