The alcohol-based
antibacterial rubs are effective enough that they do not create resistant
strains, although antibacterial soaps may present a hazard.
But some antimicrobial soaps present challenges...
While the alcohol
rub stays on the hands and is not meant to be rinsed off, the antibacterial
triclosan is rinsed off before it can do all its work and then enters the water
supply. In addition, products like triclosan can cause problems once they are
in the water supply, and resistant strains of bacteria have been created in
labs using triclosan, although it remains to be seen if it will happen in the
natural environment.
Generally,
antibacterial soap does not do enough to justify its use. The objective of hand
washing, by rinsing in soap and water for at least 20 seconds, is not to kill
bacteria, but simply to get germs and viruses off our hands. Using a sink and
washing hands thoroughly 15 to 20 seconds with regular soap and then rinsing
that is the most effective method of 'de-germing', or removing bacteria and
viruses from your hands.
Hand washing with soap and water does not remove all the microbes from our hands, because some are an important part of our skin, and even if we did kill them, they would return.
Given that regular
soap and water removes the organisms, there is often no need for an antibacterial
agent, and it probably will not work anyway. Hand sanitisers are best reserved
where hand washing facilities are not readily accessible.
Posted by Dr. Tim Sandle, Pharmaceutical Microbiology Resources (http://www.pharmamicroresources.com/)
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