Should You Be Using Antibacterial Soap?

Normally, the environmental testing experts at AirMD are focused on things like VOC testing, mold testing, indoor air quality testing and water quality testing. These days, however, like just about everyone else in the world, we are also concerned with taking the necessary steps to protect ourselves and our families from Covid-19 – and that starts with proper hand hygiene. 

With our scientific background, we have been having friends and family members ask us for advice ever since the pandemic began earlier this year. One of the most common questions we get is about the best type of soap to use when washing your hands. 

Hand Soaps and Sanitizers

When it comes to hand sanitizers, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have a clear recommendation: you should use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol (which might be listed on the label as either ethanol or ethyl alcohol).

But nothing beats good old soap and water when it comes to cleaning your hands. That much is clear if you read the CDC guidelines. But, unlike with hand sanitizers, there are no recommendations regarding the specific type of soap that might be most effective against the coronavirus. 

There are a lot of people who think that using an antibacterial soap is the best way to go when it comes to keeping themselves and their families safe from Covid-19. For a number of reasons, however, we would advise against it: 

1. Covid-19 – and most of the other things you want to wash away – are viruses, not bacteria. 
2. Not all bacteria are bad. For optimum health, you need good bacteria.
3. The use of antibacterial soaps and cleaners seems to be contributing to the development of antibiotic-resistant bugs. 

“There is currently no evidence that consumer antiseptic wash products (also known as antibacterial soaps) are any more effective at preventing illness than washing with plain soap and water,” the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says. “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients could do more harm than good.”

All of us here at AirMD, a leading national environmental testing company based in Boca Raton, Florida, wish you and your family the very best during these challenging times.