Soap annihilates deadly viruses. It works better than alcohol, disinfectants, and hand sanitizer at destroying the structure of viruses. How? A virus like the Coronavirus is surrounded by a coating of fat. In simple terms soap breaks apart the fatty membrane that holds the virus together.
The virus is a self-assembled nanoparticle in which the weakest link is the lipid (fatty) bi-layer. Soap dissolves the fat membrane and the virus falls apart. This fatty layer around the virus cannot be washed off with just water because the two substances don't mix. Soap has 2 sided molecules. One end of the molecule is attracted to water. The other end is attracted to fat. When the Coronavirus which is surrounded by fat comes into contact with soap, that fat gets pulled apart and and the virus is demolished. But this takes time...20 full seconds to be specific. The water used to rinse your soapy hands also rinses the harmless leftover bits of virus down the drain. Most of us view hand washing as a tedious task but the only way to destroy viruses on the skin's surface, is to take the time.
Alcohol and hand sanitizer work in a similar fashion to break down the fatty layer around viruses so long as their concentration is at least 60% alcohol. But if your hands are sweaty or dirty when you use the sanitizer, that can dilute its effectiveness. We also don't scrub and get between our fingers like we do with soap. That's why soap is more effective . It may not be as convenient as sanitizer but that innocent bar of soap you've got lying around the house. It ain't so innocent.
Stay safe. Wash those hands. Make it more enjoyable by using a luscious bar of natural handmade soap that won't dry your skin. That's a hint ;-)
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