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by Cant hold me Down on September 9th, 2006

Cant hold me Down

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If antibacterial soap isn't better than regular, what is the difference between the two?

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  • by Krezzy on September 9th, 2006

    Krezzy

    Antibacterial soap is any cleaning product to which active antibacterial ingredients have been added. These chemicals kill bacteria. They do not kill viruses.

    In an informal survey of liquid hand and body soaps at the supermarket, most contained antibacterial chemicals [citation needed]. Triclosan is a common ingredient, as is alcohol. Since there is a great variety of bacteria, effectiveness against any given type of bacteria does not ensure that it is effective against unrelated types of bacteria.

    Overuse of chemicals like triclosan have been suggested to cause sensitive bacteria to evolve resistance to its antibacterial action. Should any antibiotic be discovered that works similarly to triclosan, this antibiotic's effectiveness to combat infections will be reduced because people will be hosting resistant bacteria already due to their use of soaps containing triclosan.

    Studies have examined the purported benefits of antibacterial soap. Some studies have concluded that simply washing thoroughly with plain soap is sufficient to reduce bacteria and, further, is effective against viruses. Other studies have found that soaps containing antimicrobial active ingredients remove more bacteria than simply washing with plain soap and water (J.C. Lucet (2002), Hand Contamination Before and After Different Hand Hygiene Techniques: a Randomized Clinical Trial, Journal of Hospital Infection; L.L. Gibson (2002), Quantitative Assessment of Risk Reduction From Hand Washing with Antibacterial Soap, Journal of Applied Microbiology).

    At one conference, Dr. Stuart Levy, a microbiologist at Tufts University, cites these studies to conclude:

    Dousing everything we touch with antibacterial soaps and taking antibiotic medications at the first sign of a cold can upset the natural balance of microorganisms in and around us, leaving behind only the 'superbugs'.1
    However, Dr. Levy's most recent research (Aeillo, et al. (2005) Antibacterial cleaning products and bacterial resitance; Emerging Infectious Diseases) concludes that "The results from our study do not implicate the use of antibacterial cleaning and hygiene products as an influential factor in carriage of antimicrobial drug-resistant bacteria on the hands of household members." The paper's authors call for continued research in this area.

    Some soaps contain tetrasodium EDTA which is a chelating agent that sequesters metals that the bacteria require in order to grow. Other microbes also require metals and so it is actually an anti-microbial agent that is widely used even as a preservative. It appears to be fairly harmless in the environment.

    There are other chemicals used in cleaning agents to kill germs but their purpose seems more directed at marketing an untested feature than in promoting hygiene [citation needed].

    Hope I Helped!

    Comments

    • I agree that if we get too clean that we destroy the environment and also our bodies no longer can fight off any bacteria, therefore making us more apt to be sicker all the time.

      tjatherton

      by tjatherton on September 9th, 2006

    • This is a good and useful answer, but I will not rate it useful unless you cite your source, seeing as you just cut and pasted it from somewhere.

      ptrask

      by ptrask on October 2nd, 2006

    • Indeed.

      Cant hold me Down

      by Cant hold me Down on October 11th, 2006

    • Good answer! Although it looks like a copy/paste job to me, which detracts merit to the poster.

      like a virgin

      by like a virgin on November 9th, 2006

    • i was going to answer this question, but you have said it all.....not bad.

      Anonymous

      by Anonymous on November 9th, 2006

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