Does antibacterial soap keep us healthy?

CDC/ Amanda Mills

Antibacterial soaps and body washes kill the germs that could make us sick and protect our health. Or do they?

As it turns out, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has issued a word of caution about what to expect from these popular products. FDA says there’s no evidence that over-the-counter antibacterial soap products do a better job than washing with plain soap and water.

 

And the news doesn’t get much better. Not only do antibacterial soaps and body washes not offer the protections that many thought, here are some other things you should know:

• There’s a possibility that using antibacterial products may cause bad germs to become resistant to drugs designed to fight infection. This could create a problem where the germs are very hard to kill.
• Some of the chemicals, such as triclosan in antibacterial soaps and body washes, have been shown to have negative effects in studies on animals.
• Antibacterial soaps and body washes don’t kill viruses, which are the type of germs that cause colds and the flu.

So what should we do improve our hand hygiene? As it turns out, good old-fashioned soap and warm water along with a good scrub and rinse is your best bet! Just follow our tips in English or Spanish to get the job done right.