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by glamorgirli on January 11th, 2007

glamorgirli

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Are viruses and bacteria Hydrophobic? Why do we actually need to use soap when we wash our hands. what does the soap actually do to the bacteria and virus? does it just emulsify it and remove it from your hands or does it actually kill them?

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Answers. 4 helpful answers below.

  • by Little Miss Dangerous on January 11th, 2007

    Little Miss Dangerous

    Hydrophobic? Quite the contrary. Most Viruses and bacteria thrive in warm, moist environments (but not usually hot water). The water is mostly to wash them away once the soap has done it's job of killing them, but the heat of the hot water kills germs and bacteria too. The new antibacterials zazzy mentions kill 99.99% germs and bacteria, but quess where the dead germs and bacteria stay once the alcohol evaporates...until the next time you wash your hands with soap and water?

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  • by zazzy_one on January 11th, 2007

    zazzy_one

    What medium would you choose? You don't have to use water at all, you just have to have a spreading medium which isn't nasty. The new antibacterials spread without water and disipate: probably using alcohol.

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  • by Im Alec has abandoned this account on February 28th, 2007

    Im Alec has abandoned this account

    Soap just makes the hands get cleaner. Soap attaches to the grease which builds up on your hands and forms a "habitat" for bacteria. Simple, more gets taken away when you use soap than when you don't.

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  • by canuck1 on February 28th, 2007

    canuck1

    Soaps help in dissolving oils on the skin and allow the oils, bacteria, dirt...to be rinsed off with the water. As for instant sanitizers, hmmmmm dead bacteria (food for the living???)

    Some soaps have a minuscule amount of 'killing' potential but mostly we just rinse them off when we wash...the longer you wash the more that are gone hence doctors scrubbing for 15 minutes or so.

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