When you can't wash with real soap and water, turn to a natural hand sanitizer—or make your own—to wipe out germs.

Hands-on approach: With clean hands, we can keep swine flu germs at arm's length.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—As flu germs circulate this fall, many of us are toting a bottle of hand sanitizer along with our keys, wallet, and other pocket staples. And while the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using alcohol-based sanitizing wipes and gels when you can't wash your hands with regular soap and water, it's important to take a little time to read the label before you grab just any old hand sanitizer off the store shelf. Some contain harmful antimicrobial chemicals like triclosan that promote the growth of superbugs, harm your thyroid, and contaminate water.

Here's what you need to know about cleaning your hands without soap, including how to make your own natural hand sanitizer.

• Check the labels. Alcohol-based hand sanitizers should contain at least 60 percent alcohol to be effective in killing germs, so make sure you read the label. While you're perusing the ingredients, also take note of inactive ingredients. Avoid alcohol-based hand sanitizers that include "fragrance" or "parfum" in the ingredients list. These are chemical fragrance compounds that could contain phthalates, and research has linked them to reproductive problems. Alcohol-based Purell hand sanitizers, for example—arguably the most popular brand out there—are effective at killing germs but contain questionable preservatives and other ingredients like fragrance, and even PEG, which is often contaminated with 1,4-dioxane, a suspected carcinogen. Also, always avoid any hand sanitizers or soaps containing triclosan: They don't kill off all the germs on your hands, and can contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant superbugs.

Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database ranks EO Hand Sanitizers and Wipes, found online or at Whole Foods, as among the safest. The products contain organic alcohol and a plant-based germ-killer; however, they are a bit pricey at nearly $10 for 8 ounces.

Look for more natural hand sanitizers and sprays that contain witch hazel, alcohol, and naturally antibiotic essential oils, suggests green-living expert Annie B. Bond, of GreenChiCafe.com, author of the new eBook Natural Flu Protection. "Beware of synthetic varieties, and varieties that say 'antimicrobial,'" Bond warns.

And here's one alcohol-free option we like: CleanWell uses a proprietary, plant-based essential oil blend, mainly thyme oil, to kill more than 99 percent of germs without alcohol. You can find Cleanwell All-Natural Hand Sanitizerson Amazon.com, or in Target, Whole Foods, Babies "R" Us, GNC, Wegmans, and other stores. The CDC did acknowledge in September 2009 that some hand sanitizers without alcohol can work to kill the flu virus, but it did not specify brands.