Science Questions

Will soap work against superbugs?

Will ordinary soap work against the kinds of germs you might pick up at home and in the hospital? Maggie

Sani - Ordinary soap will help because you are trying to reduce the burden of infection on your hands.  Ordinary soap will help in terms of C. difficile.  We know even when you finish washing your hands this is talking outside of the C. difficile spectrum (in terms of MRSA infection, for instance) if you use that hand gel - if you haven’t really washed your hand and you have a lot of debris that alcohol hand gel is not going to work.  Yes, using soap and water is definitely a good thing.

Chris - There’s a physical detachment of organisms by placing your hands with friction under running water.  We know that helps to knock them off.

September 2008