SC - Goya bitter orange juice

[Stefan li Rous]

hey all from Anne-Marie, your friendly neighborhood card carrying
microbiologist....

we are told:
>> Hand washing's all very well and good, but tests have been run on soaps
>> (and indeed tap handles), and it seems to be (on the whole) 'cleaner' to
>> not use the soap (especially those in public areas), as these soaps
>> contain more bacteria than was on the washer's hands already (and
>> sometimes more than in a toilet bowl). If I remember, a GOOD rinse with 
>> cold water, then a long towel off with a clean towel is more anti-germ.

if one cultures the bar of soap alone, I am not suprised. the thing is, one
doesnt usually wipe ones hands on the soap and then walk out the door.

Soap of any kind is antibacterial by its nature. The surfactants do a real
effective job of chewing away the lipid coats on the bugs (and your skin if
you let it ;)). But handwashing isnt about soap alone. "antibacterial
soaps" contain extra stuff, usually some sort of chemical that in theory
will do more of a number on the bugs. (read the lable, its usually very
specific which ones it kills, and is usually targetted against gram
negatives like E. Coli)

consider the process as posted by someone else....
>"Proper handwashing procedure: 1. Wet your hands with hot running water. 
>[As hot as you can stand.] 

that will sluice off a good portion of the bacteria, especially those you
just picked up from that chicken....hot water is good because it helps
dissolve any grease, etc. that might let the bugs hold on better. Dont
worry if its only warm...you're not going to let it sit on your hands long
enough to let the bugs start multiplying. If all you have is cold water
that works too, but use more soap to try and dissolve any dirt and grease.

Bugs double every 24 hrs. just for a point of reference....

2. Apply soap [enough to get a good lather]. 

soap is a good antibacterial and so will kill some bugs, as well as being a
solvent, it will dissolve the oils on your hands where some other bugs
might be holding on for dear life.

3. 
>Rub hands [and halfway down the forearm] together for at least twenty 
>seconds.  

again, effectively dislodging anybody trying to hitch a ride.

4. Clean under fingernails and between fingers. 

places often forgotten, and the water has a harder time getting to.

5. Rinse hands 
>thoroughly under running water. 

sluicing away those dead and dislodged bugs.

Turn off the faucet using a sanitary single-
>use paper towel. 

dont forget you turned it on with "contaminated" hands! dont pick up the
same bugs again! 

6. Dry hands [using a single-use paper towel or warm-air 
>hand dryer]."

again, the physical act will also wipe away bugs. those roundabout cloth
towel things are very scary. In rest stops I use my own pants leg rather
than those things....at least the bugs I pick up are my own!

take home...soap alone wont do it. Actually, the physical act of washing
your hands does more to santize than the soap itself. and for real
disinfecting power, nothing beats a 10% final concentration of regular
household bleach (its what we use in the lab for the major cooties). The
temp of the water is an added bonus but its not the key. 

- --AM, who washes her hands a billion times a day, and thats just at work!