First, an editor's note: The more we think things stay the same, the more they change. Or something like that. Such is the case with details on DSL speeds cited in Wednesday's Since You Asked.

Qwest's DSL speeds have bumped up dramatically with the latest packages the company offers, though coverage may be more limited than cable. Qwest is offering up to a 7 Mbps connection (125 times faster than a 56k modem) for about the same — $36.99 per month with a package, $41.99 a la carte — as Charter's 3 Mbps service. Charter also offers 5 and 10 Mbps service. Of course your price may vary depending on various deals that are offered periodically. Now, back to your regularly scheduled SYA!

I see people throughout the day using hand sanitizer and was wondering if using it is as effective as washing your hands with soap. Do you have any positives or negatives regarding the use of hand sanitizer?

— Jason S., Yreka, Calif.

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Sanitizers won't put soap and water out of business anytime soon, Jason — the best option if it's available is old-school handwashing. Hand sanitizers — gels with alcohol-based substances in them — are convenient way of cleaning your hands in a pinch but they aren't nearly as formidable as washing soapy hands vigorously for 20 seconds (we sing our ABCs or "Happy Birthday," falsetto of course) and running them under warm water several times a day, as recommended by the FDA and the Centers for Disease Control. And don't forget to completely dry off — CDC reports freshly washed wet hands are fertile ground for a new crop of bugs.

Sanitizers don't do as good a job as washing for one basic reason — hand washing mechanically removes the bugs on your hands while sanitizers just try to kill them. Hand sanitizers are useless on visibly soiled hands and may not kill the worst hand-friendly pathogens. The most effective type of hand sanitizers are "ethanol-based hand antiseptics containing 60-95 percent alcohol," according to the CDC. Check the label: Products with less than 60 percent alcohol might as well be bacterial fertilizer, according to an East Tennessee State University study.

In our experience we've seen lots of people use the stuff — from cops on the beat to parents trying to keep preschool germ factories from utterly destroying civilization as we know it.

Still, mom was right: Hand washing is the single-most effective way to prevent the spread of disease. If you don't wash your hands frequently, you can pick up germs and then infect yourself when you touch your eyes, nose or mouth. FYI, our mom said we'd also get worms, though we couldn't find academic support for that in our research. Better safe than sorry.

CDC recommends washing your hands before eating, after using the bathroom, and after getting anywhere near fecal matter or after playing with a pet.

Send questions to "Since You Asked," Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by e-mail to youasked@mailtribune.com.