What's the most usual way to say "hand sanitizer" in Chinese? I'm finding in the non-touristy places in China where I'm spending my time in cheaper places etc that there's often no place to wash your hands, or it's dirty, or there's no soap.

I've been recommended to buy some hand sanitizer, but the Wikipedia page doesn't link to a Chinese equivalent and Wiktionary doesn't even include an entry for hand sanitizer.

I've never been one to use it before so I'm not an expert, but I think the key things about hand sanitizer that make it different to liquid soap is that 1) it is alcohol-based and does not require water, and 2) doesn't just clean but disinfects, so is better than soap for preventing spread of diseases such as the common cold.

Google Translate offers several alternatives though:


洗手液 xǐshǒu yè
洗手 xǐshǒu
免洗洗手液 miǎn xǐ xǐshǒu yè
消毒洗手液 xiāodú xǐshǒu yè
的洗手液 de xǐshǒu yè


Of these, I don't trust 2. and 5. - the first because it translated back as "wash your hands" and the second because starting with the character 的 doesn't seem right for a noun phrase.

So on the face of it, 1. looks most versatile with 3. and 4. just being alternative long equivalents. But is it so simple in reality.

(For me right now the term most useful in Hebei province is probably what I want.)
If you want to say hand soap (not necessarily for sanitation), you can use 洗手液. To specifically ask for hand sanitizer (for disinfection/sterilization), you may want to use 消毒洗手液. Below is an analysis for the options you've listed.


  洗手液 xǐshǒu yè


(Liquid) hand soap. Here soap is in general sense, could be sanitizer, scented soap, skin smoother, etc.


  洗手 xǐshǒu


(Verb phrase) to wash hand


  免洗洗手液 miǎn xǐ xǐshǒu yè


Waterless hand soap. Though not explicitly stated in the name, the waterless hand soap products are mostly sanitizers.


  消毒洗手液 xiāodú xǐshǒu yè


Hand sanitizer. (消毒 means to sterilize.)


  ___的洗手液 de xǐshǒu yè


(Incomplete phrase) hand soap of _