Quite a few years ago when I spent a bit of time studying up about flu, I did some research into antibacterial soaps vs just washing with regular soap. Interestingly, I found several studies had been done showing that vigorous handwashing with regular soap under running water got rid of as many bacteria as using antibacterial soap. And this really surprised me - washing vigorously under cold water, with no soap, for 1 minute, also got rid of as many bacterial as washing wtih soap or antibacterial soap.
It’s the washing action primarily that does it.
“It’s the washing action primarily that does it.”
Bingo! That’s the bottom line. Soaps have surfactants that only aid in removal of dirt and germs, but it’s the washing AND rinsing process that actually removes such. However, there are some things that would take a VERY long time to remove without the help of soap or hot temperatures that would burn the hands.
I knew a lady who only used hand sanitizer after changing her baby’s diaper. She claimed that it got her hands as clean as washing them. I told her all she was doing was allegedly killing any ‘germs’ on her hands, but in effect was just smearing around the remaining ‘sterilized’ feces, dirt, and ‘dead’ germs. Without washing and rinsing, all that grime remained on her hands. The concept was too hard for her to grasp.