Cleanliness Is a Virtue — Basic Soap and Water Still Effective in Fighting Germs
Make Hand Washing a Family Affair
The following steps are important for scrubbing germs away — for children and adults alike.
- Wash your hands in warm water, which kills germs better than cold water. Make sure the water isn't too hot for little hands.
- Use soap and lather up for about 10 to 15 seconds. Make sure you get the "in-between" places like between the fingers and under the nails (where uninvited germs often lurk). To make hand washing more enjoyable for children, use colorful soaps in interesting shapes and scents and have your child sing a favorite song to help pass the time.
- Rinse and dry well with a clean towel.
October 2003 — Did you know there are more than 700 products on the market that claim to be antimicrobial or antibacterial? Product manufacturers tout the germ-fighting ability of these products and cleaners, and consumers buy them, hoping to sanitize their homes and hands. But how do these products stand up to good, old-fashioned soap and water?
Tough Ingredients
The terms antimicrobial and antibacterial are often used interchangeably. However, antimicrobials fight a variety of organisms while antibacterials specifically target bacteria.
Products claiming to be antimicrobial or antibacterial contain an active ingredient called triclosan. Triclosan has been used safely for the last three decades in hospitals, as well as in dermatologic preparations, underarm deodorants and deodorant soaps.
Yet some healthcare professionals are concerned that too much exposure to triclosan could add to the growing problem of antibiotic resistance. In other words, widespread use of this product in healthy households could possibly generate a strain of resistant bacteria and cause it to lose its effectiveness. This could be critical for surgical units and for patients who are extremely ill or undergoing therapies that compromise their immune system.
Rub-a-Dub-Dub
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is concerned that the public may develop a false sense of security through the use of these products and forget the virtues of thorough hand washing.
Washing your hands is the first line of defense against bacteria and the germs that can cause colds, the flu, skin problems and even certain communicable illnesses.
Why, then, wouldn’t washing hands with antibacterial soap prove to be that much more effective? Some experts say that too much hand washing with antibacterial products can create an environment that allows bacteria to flourish and spread. The frequent use of antibacterial soaps containing harsh detergents actually strips away the fatty acids, moisture and amino acids from the skin and disturbs the healthy growth process.
When this happens, the skin is vulnerable to tiny, open cuts that can attract bacteria, causing skin problems. Skin problems, such as eczema, may start a cycle of spreading bacteria instead of preventing it. When it touches a surface, skin with eczema or dermatitis leaves microscopic germs behind. Another person may touch that surface and become infected with the bacteria.
For daily hygiene, proper hand washing with regular soap will remove surface dirt and microbes while protecting the skin’s moisture. Proper hand-washing technique means washing all surfaces of the hands, including the backs of the hands, wrists and between the fingers. Time spent washing is not as important as covering all surfaces and rubbing to apply friction to the surface.
According to the CDC, clean hands will go a long way in preventing the 79 million cases of food-related illnesses that occur each year in the United States. The CDC states, “If you have good hand-washing technique, antimicrobial soap is not necessary.”
For now, it seems that regular soap and water will keep us clean enough. For referral to a dermatologist or physician, please call the Memorial Healthcare System
Physician Referral Service at (800) 944-DOCS.