Bacteria, viruses and parasites that cause a number of infectious diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, pneumonia and influenza (like COVID-19) can be spread from one person to another by contaminated hands. In this article, we will explore how washing your hands properly can help prevent the spread of these germs.
Soap: The infallible weapon against germs
Oil and water, as we all know, don’t mix. That’s because water is a polar molecule, while oil is a nonpolar molecule. Ever tried washing off oily or greasy hands with just water? It never works. The nonpolar oil molecules are insoluble in water. Add soap, however, the oil washes away easily. This is all thanks to soap’s unique molecular structure. Soap is made of pin-shaped molecules that are amphiphilic. What this means is that soap molecules have both polar and nonpolar properties; water-loving and fat-loving respectively.
You can picture a soap molecule as having a head — readily bonds with water — and a tail — shuns water and readily bonds with oils and fats. This is the secret behind soap’s success. That is why soap will wash oil and fats off your hands.
How soap kills viruses & bacteria?
To understand why soap is really good at killing the germs, we must first understand their structure. Most bacteria and viruses are covered with an outer layer made up of lipids (or fat).
They are bits of genetic code bundled inside a collection of lipids and proteins, which can include a fat-based casing known as a viral envelope. The lipids, our main focus, forms a protective coat and encases the contents of the virus or bacteria.
When hands are washed with soap and water, the lipid envelope encasing the bacteria/virus is readily and easily broken down. Once the virus/bacteria is split open, it loses all its contents and dies! In tandem, some soap molecules disrupt the chemical bonds that allow coronavirus and other microbes to stick to surfaces, hence can be lifted off the skin and rinsed away with running water.
Scrubbing, lathering, and scrubbing some more, for 20 seconds, ensures that you get to every crack and crevice of your hands and fingers.
Turns out that coronavirus is tough, yet fragile, and that old-fashioned soap is very effective at removing them from your hands before they have a chance to infect anyone. Clean hands, safe hands and save lives!
Hand Sanitisers are NOT as reliable as soap
Sanitisers, that contain at least 60% of ethanol, kill viruses in a similar manner. However, they cannot easily remove microbes from the skin.
Some microbes are generally less susceptible to the chemical onslaught of ethanol and soap. But vigorous scrubbing with soap and water can still expunge these microbes from the skin.
Handwashing with soap is more effective because you only need a fairly small amount of soapy water, which, with rubbing, covers your entire hand easily. Whereas you need to literally soak your hands briefly in ethanol or rub sanitizing gel. This does not guarantee that you soak every corner of the skin on your hands effectively enough. That being said, it is recommended to use alcohol-based sanitizers when soap is not handy or practical.
So, next time you see your local supermarket running out of alcohol-based sanitizers, don’t stress too much. Soap will do just fine.
Hand-washing is easy!
Hand hygiene is the first line of defense against the spread of COVID-19. Proper hand washing is a skill that you can easily learn, teach others and practice every day to protect yourself and your family.
According to W.H.O. guidelines, hand washing can be done in 5 simple steps :
- Wet your hands with clean, running water, turn off the tap, and apply soap. Any soap will work.
- Lather your hands by rubbing them together with soap.
- Scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds.
- Rinse your hands well under clean, running water.
- Dry your hands using a clean towel or air-dry them.
