How Effective is Bar Soap for Handwashing?
Remember when COVID-19 was raging, and the world was plastered with signs to wash your hands the right way? You might have done it then, but are you still doing it? Or do you do the obligatory two-second pass under the faucet—your hands barely getting wet—cuz, man, you’ve got places to be!
The problem is not washing your hands properly can put you out of commission for days and sometimes weeks at a time if you catch an illness. That’s why we’re big proponents of the mere 30-45 seconds it takes to wash your hands well.
But that brings us to our next question. Is bar soap the move? A bar of soap is a throwback—our ancestors were using bar soap thousands of years ago. Now, there are other options, like soft soap and hand sanitizer. Can we still trust the bar to keep our hands germ-free and save us from a host of illnesses?
In honor of the weather turning cold and the germ-fest of winter coming at us, we’ve devoted this article to discovering whether bar soap is still a solid defense.
Should I Be Using Bar Soap?
There are any number of liquid soaps out there. They smell nice. They look pretty. They have inviting names. So how does bar soap measure up against your pump bottle of that “Lavender Meadows” or “Glorious Spring Morning” soft soap?
When it comes to effectiveness, studies show no major difference between a bar and liquid soap. Soft soap can make a nice cleansing lather, but the shape and texture of bar soap are great for picking up dead skin cells and scrubbing away germs. Both can get the job done.
But bar soap has its advantages. Here’s where it shines:
May Contain Fewer Harsh Chemicals
Liquid soap contains synthetic detergents, water, and various chemical additives that prolong liquid soap’s shelf life, help it pump easily, and make it look and smell good. The problem is these chemical additives can irritate and dry out the skin. On the other hand, you can find natural bar soap that is free of any of these harsh chemicals.
Can Be More Cost-Effective
Fancy schmancy soft soap can be costly, but bar soap is generally easier on your wallet. A humble bar of soap will fit a humble budget.
Easier on the Environment
Liquid soap comes in a bottle (usually a plastic one) that takes a lot of energy to produce and ends up in the landfill. If you really want to honor Mother Earth, opt for a natural bar of soap in recyclable packaging. Say no to plastic waste.
Can’t Germs Accumulate on Soap Bars?
Bars of soap may accumulate bacteria, but it’s negligible. Studies show no detectable levels of microbes on bar soap after hand washing, especially if you store your soap properly (see below).
How Do I Maximize the Life of My Soap Bar?
Invest in a good soap dish! This can make all the difference in keeping your soap from getting water-logged and mushy. A good bar of soap, properly stored, can be your ally for a long time.
Can’t I Just Use Hand Sanitizer?
People went hand sanitizer loco during the pandemic. (CNN reported an 800% spike in online hand sanitizer sales in 2020.) It’s a handy product (see what we did there?) when you want to de-germ on the go, but it has its shortcomings.
In order to do its job, hand sanitizer needs to contain a lot of alcohol. (The CDC recommends sanitizers with at least 60% alcohol.) But alcohol is tough on skin and can leave your hands as dry and rough as sandpaper. And for hand sanitizer to clean thoroughly, it needs to come in contact with every surface on your hand—between your fingers, around your nail beds, etc. So, a slapdash application won’t necessarily do the trick. You need to slather it on and rub it into every surface of your hand.
And hand sanitizer isn’t foolproof either. It doesn’t do a great job of killing certain bacterial spores and types of viruses. That’s why some hospitals instruct their staff to skip the sanitizer and go back to good ol’ soap and water cleanings in the winter when virus loads are particularly heavy.
How Should I Wash My Hands?
Most people learned to do this when they were spunky little toddlers washing the sandbox off their hands, but we’re willing to bet that many of us need a refresher.
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Get your hands wet:
The temperature doesn’t matter a lot, so pick a water temperature that feels good on your hands. -
Lather up:
Rub that soap around and watch the lather form. -
Sing that song:
Keep scrubbing your hands together, being careful to get underneath your nails, between your fingers, and up your wrists–and sing! That’s right, what your preschool teacher told you is true: For the best clean, you need to scrub for as long as it takes you to sing the ABCs (approximately 20 seconds). -
Rinse:
Run your hands under the warm water and watch the soap and germs swirl down the drain. -
Wipe them dry:
Wet hands are more likely to spread germs. Take the time to wipe them with a paper towel or put them under the air dryer. The CDC approves of both methods.
How Do I Pick the Right Bar Soap?
Bottom line: Bar soap worked for our ancestors in the Bronze Age, and it still works today. Some things are timeless!
But how do you choose the right one? Opt for a bar soap that does it all–obliterates germs without irritating your skin or depleting its natural moisture. Read the ingredients, and steer away from chemicals that can hurt your health (like parabens and sulfates). Look for soap that comes with recyclable packaging so you can keep your carbon footprint small.
Check out our natural pine tar bar soap, which checks all of the boxes while keeping your hands feeling and smelling as fresh as a pine forest.
