Disclosed is a sanitizing formulation comprising: I. An acidic polymer which comprises either a homopolymer of acrylic acid crosslinked with an allyl ether of pentaerythritol, sucrose or propylene, or comprises units -[-CR1R2-CR3R4-CR5.COOH.-CR6.COOH-]-. II. An anionic surfactant which is either sodium lauryl sulphate, sodium laureth sulphate and alpha-olefin sulphates. III. Citric acid； and IV. A liquid vehicle comprising water, ethanol or a mixture of the two. The formulation is used to neutralize viruses on a surface, particularly to sanitize human hands or skin.
