CHICAGO -- New federal guidelines say hand washing with soap is no longer good enough for hospitals. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said doctors and nurses should rub on fast-drying alcohol gel.

Officials released the new guidelines Friday at a meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America in Chicago.

The gels are more convenient than soap and water and kill more germs.

Proper soap-and-water washes between patients can take a full minute. And the step often is skipped, especially in busy intensive care units where the risk of spreading germs is greatest.

"These handrubs should help promote hand hygiene because they are much more accessible than sinks, take less time to use and cause less skin irritation and dryness than many soaps," said Dr. Steve Solomon, acting director of CDC's health care quality promotion division.

Each year, nearly 2 million patients in the United States get an infection in hospitals, and about 90,000 of these patients die as a result of their infection, according to CDC estimates.

"Clean hands are the single most important factor in preventing the spread of dangerous germs and antibiotic resistance in health care settings," said Dr. Julie Gerberding, director of the CDC.

But the alcohol does not remove dirt. Hospital workers are still expected to wash with soap if they get messy hands.

Experts say the guidelines needn't be applied to homes, where dangerous bugs are far less common and soap will suffice.