Scientists have discovered that
using antibacterial soap when hand-washing is no more effective than
using plain soap, according to a paper published in the Journal of
Antimicrobial Chemotherapy.
The study examined the effect of triclosan (the most commonly used
active antiseptic ingredient used in soap) on bacteria in two ways. The
first was to examine the bactericidal effects of triclosan in soaps
against all 20 strains, and the second compared the ability of
antibacterial and non-antibacterial soap to remove bacteria from human
hands, by using 16 healthy adult volunteers. The results of the study
indicate that there is no significant difference between the effects of
plain soap and antibacterial soap when used under ‘real life’
conditions.
The scientists recreated the conditions of human hand washing by exposing the bacteria for 20 seconds at 22°C (room temperature) and 40°C (warm temperature) to triclosan with a concentration of 0.3% - the maximum allowed by law. There were significantly great effects after more than nine hours, but not during the short time required for hand washing.
The scientists recreated the conditions of human hand washing by exposing the bacteria for 20 seconds at 22°C (room temperature) and 40°C (warm temperature) to triclosan with a concentration of 0.3% - the maximum allowed by law. There were significantly great effects after more than nine hours, but not during the short time required for hand washing.
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