Do antibacterial products beat hand washing?

What a good idea. Ban it from sale so that me and my fellow volunteers can only was our hands in collected rain water. Yes, a good idea.

Maldwyn – Are you aware of the number of everyday chemicals that have have been removed from the market in recent years because it has been discovered that they are hazardous?

Anything that is harmful to one type of life is quite likely to harm others, so chemicals used to kill bacteria can be harmful to humans, and waste water containing these chemicals certainly causes environmental damage. One of the most worrying examples of antibacterial chemicals used in handwash is triclosan and it is easy to look up the hazards of this.

Gloves are probably the best protection when doing voluntary work. If you feel the need for an antibacterial product then alcohol-based hand-rub does not have the drawbacks of the antibacterial handwashes that are in every supermarket.

Using hand rubs to help control transmission of bacteria and viruses in high risk environments such as hospitals and GP surgeries makes sense.

Good practice in handling and storage of food in commercial premises is vital to avoid cases of food poisoning. Cleanliness is important but I have not seen scientific evidence to support the need to use antibacterial cleaners and sprays in such environments or in the home.

Coins, door handles and anything touched by many people has the potential to transfer bacteria and viruses, but this is not a problem for those in a reasonable state of health. As a microbiologist I tend to notice how few people wash their hands when using toilets in pubs etc. Hopefully the ladies are more responsible.

I always wash my hands when I get home after a shopping expedition. Never mind the bugs, I want to get rid of the smell of cheap perfume picked up from the handle of the supermarket trolley. 🙁

The state of loos after a long flight on a plane makes carrying a good hand cleaner with you essential.

Wavechange: “I have not seen scientific evidence to support the need to use antibacterial cleaners and sprays in such environments and in the home.”

How effective is vinegar as an antibacterial for cleaning in the home i.e. work tops etc? I use it quite a lot as I am averse to breathing in the chemicals contained in proprietary cleaners, especially sprays.

Vinegar does have some antimicrobial properties because it is acidic (dilute acetic acid), but many bacteria will survive and vinegar is actually made using bacteria.

A damp, soapy cloth is fine for cleaning worktops. Bleach is very effective for killing bacteria, so should be used for dishcloths, etc. and for cleaning chopping boards and anything else that has been in contact with raw meat.

I do not know why it is legal to put irritant and toxic materials in sprays. 🙁

Many thanks Wavechange. I had doubts about the efficacy of vinegar as an a antibacterial as I recently added a few drops to a bowl of water I keep on the top of the radiator in my lounge for rehydration during the winter months and to my astonishment green mould rings appeared within a few days! This has never happened when using plain water.

You are absolutely right, Beryl. A dilute solution of vinegar will just provide a carbon and energy source (food source) promoting growth of moulds, most of which grow best under slightly acidic conditions.

Vinegar is used to prevent microbial growth (e.g. for beetroot and pickles), but it needs to be concentrated (strong) and not dilute. It’s the same with sugar. If enough is present it will prevent growth of moulds and bacteria in jams but if not enough sugar is present it will encourage growth of bugs.

I suggest you change the water in the bowl every couple of days, but wipe the inside of the bowl with a little bleach because the bugs form a film on the surface.

The main reason that non-brewed condiment (essentially industrial acetic acid plus caramel) is used is because it is cheap compared with vinegar, which is produced by fermentation. The reason that this cheap vinegar substitute is unlikely to grow mould is that it does not contain all the nutrients needed for growth of the mould.

Alcohol-based hand rub is relatively innocuous and relies on the antimicrobial properties of one or more alcohols at high concentration. There is no antimicrobial residue that could be harmful to the user or the environment and there is no risk of selecting resistant organisms.

Alcohol-based hand rubs are not effective against all harmful bacteria, perhaps the biggest problem being Clostridium difficile. This is generally associated with hospital infections but since it is often a consequence of antibiotic treatment, it could also be a problem in the home. Great care must be taken if someone in the household has diarrhoea or other evidence of an infection of the digestive system. Fresh bleach is an effective way of dealing with soiled clothing and bedding.

My comment to which you have responded, Ann, is now over three years old and things have probably changed. I have certainly found it much more difficult to buy plain liquid soap nowadays as it has disappeared from supermarket shelves and I have also looked in discount stores, pound shops and places like Wilko and Savers. Everything in a bottle is now ‘anti-bacterial’.

Another product that also seems to have disappeared is foaming hand-wash which was usually plain [not anti-bacterial]. It was more economical in use than the normal liquids but still sufficiently hygienic. Occasionally I see a Method brand version available on special offer but never on regular sale. Another foaming hand-wash brand that was better in my opinion was A&J London which I think is available to order on-line from the manufacturer and comes in various fragrances.

I am not interested in economy but saving nature. Chemicals that can kill bacteria can also kill or harm other creatures and since what goes down our drains often [although it shouldn’t] enters our surface water disposal systems it can end up in streams, brooks, rivers, ponds and lakes and goes up through the whole food chain to insects, fishes, birds and mammals.

It is purely the power of marketing and product promotion that has led to the dominance of anti-bacterial hand-wash. Soap and water are all that are needed several times a day and should not adversely affect the skin. I understand, but I am not qualified to comment, that scientific opinion no longer insists that hot water must be used for hygienic hand-washing and that cold water is equally effective.

Decanting a quantity of basic supermarket own-label shower gel into an empty pump bottle might be a satisfactory and economical way of providing hand-wash because so far as I know this is not ‘anti-bacterial’.