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Washing with contaminated bar soap is unlikely to transfer bacteria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

John E. Heinze  and
Frank Yackovich
John E. Heinze
Affiliation:
The Dial Corporation, Dial Technical Center, 15101 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85254
Frank Yackovich
Affiliation:
The Dial Corporation, Dial Technical Center, 15101 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale, AZ 85254
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Recent reports of the isolation of microorganisms from used soap bars have raised the concern that bacteria may be transferred from contaminated soap bars during handwashing. Since only one study addressing this question has been published, we developed an additional procedure to test this concern. In our new method prewashed and softened commercial deodorant soap bars (0·8% triclocarban) not active against Gram-negative bacteria were inoculated with Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa to give mean total survival levels of 4·4 × 105 c.f.u. per bar which was 70-fold higher than those reported on used soap bars. Sixteen panelists were instructed to wash with the inoculated bars using their normal handwashing procedure. After washing, none of the 16 panelists had detectable levels of either test bacterium on their hands. Thus, the results obtained using our new method were in complete agreement with those obtained with the previously published method even though the two methods differ in a number of procedural aspects. These findings, along with other published reports, show that little hazard exists in routine handwashing with previously used soap bars and support the frequent use of soap and water for handwashing to prevent the spread of disease.

Type
Special Article
Information
Epidemiology & Infection , Volume 101 , Issue 1 , August 1988 , pp. 135 - 142
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1988

References

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