Sanitizer Doesn't Work Well on Norovirus; Wash 20 Seconds
CDC says hand sanitizer does not work well against norovirus; wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after using the toilet or changing diapers, before eating, preparing or handling food, and before giving yourself or someone else medicine. If you are sick, wait at least 2 days (48 hours) after symptoms stop before preparing food or caring for others.
CDC says norovirus is very contagious, but you can take steps to stop it from spreading; the virus can also stay in your poop for 2 weeks or more after you feel better. This article follows CDC’s norovirus prevention page: handwashing, what to do when you’re sick, handling food, cleaning and disinfecting, and laundry. Health situations differ, so ask your health care provider if you have questions.
Handwashing
CDC explains (CDC How to Prevent Norovirus):
- Soap and water: wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
- When to wash: especially after using the toilet or changing diapers, before eating, preparing or handling food, and before giving yourself or someone else medicine.
- Hand sanitizer: hand sanitizer does not work well against norovirus; you can use it in addition to handwashing, but it is not a substitute for handwashing with soap and water, which is best.
When you’re sick
- No food handling or caregiving: don’t prepare or handle food or care for others while you are sick.
- Wait 2 days: wait at least 2 days (48 hours) after symptoms stop; this is important if you work in a restaurant, school, daycare, long-term care facility or other place where you may expose people to norovirus.
- Still contagious after you recover: the virus can be in vomit or poop before symptoms start, and can stay in your poop for 2 weeks or more after you feel better.
Handling food
- Fruits and vegetables: wash fruits and vegetables carefully.
- Shellfish: cook oysters and other shellfish thoroughly to an internal temperature of at least 145°F; quick steaming won’t heat food enough to kill noroviruses.
- Keep raw and ready-to-eat apart: keep raw oysters away from ready-to-eat foods, and clean and sanitize utensils and surfaces after handling shellfish.
- Throw out what may be contaminated: contaminated food may look, smell and taste normal, so throw away food that might be contaminated.
Cleaning and disinfecting
- Clean up first: after vomiting or diarrhea, put on gloves, wipe up with paper towels and bag them.
- Bleach: disinfect with a chlorine bleach solution of 1,000 to 5,000 ppm, about 5 to 25 tablespoons of 5% to 8% household bleach per gallon of water, or use an EPA-registered product labeled against norovirus, following the label.
- Leave it 5 minutes: leave the bleach on the area for at least 5 minutes, then clean the area again with soap and hot water.
Laundry
- Remove right away: wearing gloves, remove soiled clothes or linens right away, and handle them gently without shaking.
- Hot water, longest cycle: wash with detergent and hot water on the longest available cycle, then dry on the highest heat setting.
- Handwashing: wash your hands afterward.
For child care assistance, see Child Care Aid Weighs the Child's Status, Parents May Apply; for where to go when you’re sick, see ERs Can't Refuse the Uninsured, Ask for Self-Pay Estimates.
What this article doesn’t cover
- Symptoms and treatment: CDC has separate pages on norovirus symptoms and when to see a doctor, which this article didn’t review.
- Season: the page doesn’t say which season has more cases, so this article doesn’t either.
- School and daycare rules: this article didn’t look into when individual schools or daycares let children return.
FAQ
Can I use hand sanitizer?
CDC says hand sanitizer does not work well against norovirus; you can use it in addition to handwashing, but it is not a substitute for handwashing with soap and water, which is best, for at least 20 seconds.
I’ve stopped vomiting. Can I go back to work and cook right away?
CDC says to wait at least 2 days (48 hours) after symptoms stop before preparing food or caring for others.
Are steamed oysters safe?
CDC says quick steaming won’t heat food enough to kill noroviruses; cook oysters and other shellfish thoroughly to an internal temperature of at least 145°F.
A family member vomited. How do I disinfect?
CDC says to put on gloves, wipe up with paper towels, disinfect with a 1,000 to 5,000 ppm chlorine bleach solution left on for at least 5 minutes, then clean again with soap and hot water.
Sources and date checked
All checked on 2026-11-02.
- CDC, How to Prevent Norovirus (page updated 2025-01-13):https://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/prevention/index.html