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Our experts
Professor Paul Griffin, director of infectious diseases at Mater Health Services in Brisbane
Dr Francesca Short, senior lecturer in microbiology at Monash University’s Centre to Impact Antimicrobial Resistance
James Plant, director of environmental health at the Sunshine Coast Public Health Unit
Do antibacterial soaps kill germs?
Francesca Short has studied the use of antimicrobial additives in products such as hand soap in Australia.
She says her research has found product labelling “isn’t a reliable indicator” of whether that product has these additives.
Short says there are a few different terms used on products:
Antibacterial — describes products that kill or prevent the growth of bacteria (not necessarily fungi or viruses)Antimicrobial — is more of a catch-all, as this includes fungi and viruses as wellAntiseptic — is used to describe antimicrobial products that are used on the skin, in Australia these products are strictly regulated by the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA), and they contain antimicrobial additives beyond regular soap or detergent
“There are some things that are labelled ‘kills 99 per cent of bacteria’ or ‘removes 99.9 percent of bacteria’, but they don’t have any additives beyond just the soap,” says the senior lecturer at Monash University’s Centre to Impact Antimicrobial Resistance, in Melbourne/Naarm.
Griffin says products claiming to kill bacteria are “not necessarily substantiated as being any better than just usual soap and water would be”.
James Plant is the director of environmental health at the Sunshine Coast Public Health Unit on Kabi Kabi lands.
He says antibacterial, antimicrobial or antiseptic hand wash might have a “small amount of specific ingredients that will kill bacteria”.
“You might see benzalkonium chloride or benzethonium chloride, sometimes something called chloroxylenol,” he says.
“And those are all designed to kill bacteria, but they only form a very small part of the actual antibacterial soap.”
Griffin says these additives can be harsh and lead to dryness and cracked skin, which can create a pathway for germs to enter the body.
Our experts say there have also been studies suggesting that the use of soaps with antimicrobial additives can contribute to antibiotic resistance, which is problematic.
“The microbes [on our skin] might be exposed to the antimicrobials in that soap,” Short says.
“They’ll learn how to tolerate small amounts of them.
“And then in future, if you need antibiotics or if you get sick, then those microbes that just live on your skin will be more resistant to antibiotics.”
The concern is that this causes the antibiotics to be less effective.
How effective is regular hand soap?
Regular hand soap is very effective in removing potentially harmful pathogens (bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites), according to our experts.
Short says it can also kill bacteria and viruses by disrupting “their outer layers” or membranes which allow them to stick to skin.
Plant says “normal soap, water and hand-washing technique is definitely the way to go” for everyday use, such as after the bathroom, before meals, after touching pets, or if you’re unwell.
“So, using that water, soap and that pneumatic action to get all of the dirt and grime from your hands and then rinsing is going to be more than adequate to keep you healthy.”
