Hotels usually have a bar of soap to wash your hands regardless of how many people are in the room. We may forget to bring our own soap or always share it with our partner. But have we ever stopped to think if we are exchanging more than just foam?
We do not want to alarm, since it really is not that bad. However, we should not rely on touching someone else’s soap. And much less if it is a public place, such as a bar service.
spread bacteria
Although it sounds logical, the soap itself is not necessarily self-cleaning. Some research has found that bacteria remain after washing with soap. In fact, bar soap has been found to harbor between two and five different types of germs. Additionally, around 62% of bar soaps were found to be contaminated, while only 3% of liquid soaps were.
The main risk is that the bacteria lurking in the soap could potentially spread from person to person if we choose to share it. Some of the germs in question found in soap could include E. coli, salmonella, and shigella bacteria, as well as viruses such as norovirus, rotavirus, and staph. Some can be spread by getting into cuts or scratches on the skin, while others are spread through feces.
That’s why you don’t usually find a bar of soap in many public restrooms to wash your hands. Instead, liquid soap dispensers with an interchangeable soap bag are the safest option, as we never find bacteria in them.
But when we are at home, the story changes. We may be sharing soap with people we know, not strangers. And it all comes down to human behavior: the habit could be bad if you don’t take some precautions first.
Tips for using a bar of soap
If we need or want to share bar soap, there are some habits that will reduce the risk of spreading something unpleasant between those who share soap. This applies to normal or antibacterial soap, or if we rub with hot or cold water.
- Clean up. If we have just cleaned our hands, we will rinse the bar of soap. I mean, we’ll clean it up. Similarly, to be on the safe side, we will rinse the lozenge off before using it on the body or face.
- Make soap. Putting foam is healthy. Bacteria like to stick to soap bubbles. The dirt will then be washed down the drain. So a foam time of 20 to 30 seconds is recommended.
- Aerate. Bacteria thrive in moist environments. Therefore, a wet bar of soap will give germs an opportunity to grow. We will make sure that the tablet can be ventilated, preferably with a draining soap dish. As the soap dries, the bacteria count decreases, reducing the risk of transferring any bacteria.
- Choose liquid soap . If we have a choice, we will choose a disposable liquid hand soap or liquid body wash. This ensures that bacteria are not transferred.
