You shouldn’t replace soap and water with anything else when your hands get dirty, but having a hand sanitizer certainly helps to kill microbial germs and viruses on the hands. It works instantly, and remains effective till nearly 6 hours.
But did you know you can use a hand sanitizer for other things too? Let’s have a look at 7 little-known tricks and hacks for using your hand sanitizer when you want to travel to the Maldives.
1. Clean your goggles and glasses
When you’re out enjoying yourself on the azure waters of the Maldives with your sunglasses on, seawater can spray onto your goggles. You might think wiping it off is going to work, but no, it’s not.
The water droplets are only going to spread out on your sunglasses, because the Maldives sea water’s salt water. Once you wear these sunglasses again, you’ll find your vision is blurred and all you can see through your goggles is very hazy scenery.
Trick: Squeeze out a few drops of your hand sanitizer onto your sunglasses, wipe it with a cloth, and hey presto! You can see everything clearly! The same goes for those who wear glasses. You can clean your specs with this liquid if they get fuzzy.
2. Sterilize any minor bruises
Many travelers usually forget to pack a mini-medical kit inside their luggage before going on a holiday to this island nation. In that case, what do you do when you get injured? Ask the staff at your hotel or resort for help, of course.
But what if you’re far away from your beach resort when you get hurt? You shouldn’t wait for help till you’re back at the resort, because if you don’t treat your wounds quickly, there’ll be a higher chance of your bruises getting infected than if you tend to them fast.
Trick: If you don’t have a first-aid kit with you, don’t worry. In cases of emergency, you can apply some drops of your hand sanitizer on minor bruises and wounds to disinfect them. Make sure to dress those cuts after reaching your hotel.
3. When mosquito bites itch
Does the Maldives have mosquitoes? Unfortunately, yes. The beaches are teeming with these insects, and tourists frequently complain of mosquito bites. Mosquitoes there are mostly active during the day, but you never know! In the evenings, it’s better to wear long-sleeved shirts and dresses as a precaution against mosquito bites. But even after taking preventive measures, what do you do when mosquitoes plant a couple of bites on your skin?
Trick: Instead of scratching the area where you’ve been bitten, pouring a few drops of a hand sanitizer on these bites will stop them from itching. You’ll get a soothing feeling later.
4. Quench the stench
In the hot tropical climate of these islands, sweating is but natural. Use an antiperspirant, but if you don’t have one, substitute it with a deodorant to prevent body odor resulting from sweat. Don’t have a deodorant too? You may have forgotten to take one while packing for your trip to the Maldives, but it’s okay!
Trick: You can use your hand sanitizer as a deodorant during emergencies. Simply apply it on your armpits, wipe it for it to spread, and let it dry.
5. Make your phone screen shine
Just like the sea water can spray onto your sunglasses, the same thing can happen with your cell phone too. Or the screen of your phone might get hazy or dirty with food stains while you’re traveling in-flight, or at any other time. And no matter how much you wipe the screen, it remains the same. But fret not!
Trick: Take a soft cloth, pour some drops of the hand sanitizer on it and then wipe your phone’s screen with the cloth. Voila! The screen of your cell phone shines like never before!
6. Get rid of scuff marks on shoes
Needless to say, the things that are the most susceptible to getting dirty when you’re on a holiday to this island country are your shoes. It’s true that a majority of the travelers wear their flip-flops or just prefer to walk barefoot on the white sandy beaches. But for those who wear shoes while touring these islands, it might be possible for you to get scuff marks or scratches on your shoes somehow or the other.
Trick: What to do when you don’t have a nail polish remover, baking soda, or vinegar to help remove any scuff marks, especially on light-colored shoes? You can use your hand sanitizer alone to work wonders! Add a few drops of the liquid on the marks, and scrub it with a cloth.
7. Remove grease stains from your clothes
You enjoy the Maldives cuisine at a resort on one of the islands, but some of the food or drinks spill onto your clothes all of a sudden and stain them. Even if you try to wash the stain off with tap water from a basin, you can’t seem to get rid of it completely.
Trick: All you need to do is put some of your hand sanitizer on the grease stains and then wash them off with water and detergent. For this, you’ll want a sanitizer that’s without any color additives.
Wanderro 