Good health or good hype?

Antibacterial soap under the microscope

By: Kathe Lieber

  Evil germs lurk by the millions on every surface, just waiting to leap out and infect your family. At least, that's what manufacturers and advertisers would have you believe. To public health experts, however, the issue is trumped-up and overblown. Consumers can protect their health and save money, too, by ignoring the hype and following basic hygienic practices.
  Soaps that claim to kill germs (the everyday name for the micro-organisms known more ominously as 'bacteria') have been on the market since the 1920s, and have been used in hospitals for many years. Since 1992, manufacturers have introduced more than 700 antibacterial products designed to cater to North Americans' fear of germs and infection - everything from hand soap, cosmetics and window cleaners to toothpaste, ballpoint pens and even toys impregnated with germ-fighting ingredients.
  In 1998, American retailers sold about $400 million U.S. worth of antibacterial hand soap alone. And a substantial proportion of the $693 Canadian families spent on personal care in 1998, according to Statistics Canada, went to this category of products.
 

"There's no evidence that antibacterial products will protect you better from germs." - Dr. John Carsley

  Most of the "antibacterial" products on the market today contain a bacteria-killer called Triclosan, created in 1965. An August 1998 report in the English journal Nature raised fears that Triclosan may cause some bacteria to mutate and create new strains that are resistant to antibacterial chemicals. What the research shows, in fact, is that Triclosan could let some germs survive - but trying to eradicate all the bacteria we encounter in daily life is neither possible nor desirable.
  Dr. John Carsley, head of the infectious disease unit at the Montreal regional public health department, takes a common-sense approach. "We've seen the emergence of new bacteria, especially resistant bacteria, and the play this has got in the media has made people anxious about germs. There's no evidence that antibacterial products will protect you better from germs. The question is, how much are you willing to pay to feel better?"
  In a household setting, says Carsley, regular, vigorous washing with soap and hot water is the best way to fight infection. "Soap dissolves the grease that lets bacteria stay on the hands. If you need to disinfect further, the best agent is a diluted bleach solution, but we would only recommend this in a situation where you were doing something risky, like cutting up raw chicken for a party of 200 people."
  Liquid soap is more convenient, so it may be used more often, says Carsley, but bar soap is cheaper. His recommendation: use whichever form suits your budget and preference. As for towels: "If you dry your hands on a clean towel that's washed regularly, that's enough. You could use paper towels or single-use towels if you want. The level of risk in a family setting is minimal."
  Bottom line: next time you go to the drugstore, skip the products in the soap aisle that claim to kill every bacterium under the sun. Buy plain soap and use it frequently, says Carsley. Don't buy into the "soft soap".

Kathe Lieber is a Montreal-based writer, editor and translator, currently serving as Vice-President of the Periodical Writers Association of Canada (PWAC). She is trying to teach her nine-year-old daughter to wash her hands properly and frequently.

Get More/Do More
For a fun and informative quiz on proper handwashing technique, visit www.microbe.org/washup/handwashing_quiz.shtml

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