- Hospitals make use of antibacterial soaps, because such products are believed to control the spread of bacteria, thereby reducing the risk of infections. This is the reason why antibacterial soaps can be found everywhere within a hospital’s premises, right from the doctor’s office to the intensive care units to the operation theatres.
- Such soaps help in preventing the spread of bacteria that cause many stomach and other ailments.
- Antibacterial soaps give a person extra protection from different types of harmful bacteria that are known to thrive in household premises.
- Washing hands with such soaps prevents the spread of most of the ailments related to stomach.
- Washing hands with plain soap remove the germs, but not to that extent as it is known to be done by an antibacterial soap.
- Triclosan, the main ingredient used in antibacterial soaps, has been found to kill not only bacteria, but also human cells.
- Such soaps kill any and every type of bacteria and are not limited to disease-causing bacteria only. Since they kill every susceptible bacterium and remove competition from the ecosystem, they might lead to multiplication of resistant bacteria. The end result will be drug-resistant “superbugs”.
- Antibacterial soaps offer no protection against the most common germs, since they are caused by virus and not bacteria.
- Use of antibacterial soaps might do more harm than good to your baby’s immune system. This is because it has been found that for developing a baby’s immunity, it is very necessary to expose him to germs during the initial years. The children who are not exposed to common bacteria usually end up being more prone to allergies and asthma.
- Over-use of antibacterial agents has been found to be associated with environmental problems also.
- Studies have revealed that the triclosan in such soaps reacts with chlorinated water to produce inappropriately high levels of chloroform, which is a probable human carcinogen.
- Researches have pointed out that too much triclosan can lead to considerable disorder in the endocrine system.
The research also suggests that the reaction of triclosan with chlorine could be producing highly chlorinated dioxins in the presence of sunlight. Triclosan is also found in toothpastes, acne creams, deodorants, lotions and 75 percent of liquid soaps and nearly 30 percent of bar soaps. It is also incorporated into a wide range of consumer products like toys, cutting boards, toothbrush handles, hot tubs and athletic clothing. Like Levy, other researchers suggest restricting the use of antibacterial cleaning products to health care settings like hospitals or nursing homes with very sick residents. However, industry representatives contend that their products are safe and that people should be able to clean themselves and their homes as effectively as hospitals. Unfortunately, triclosan and other antibacterial chemicals take time to work, needing to be left on a surface for up to two minutes. Since most people are not that patient or conscientious, they end up rinsing off the antibacterial cleansing agent before it has time to work. On the other hand, regular soap gets rid of bacteria too, by adhering it to the soap’s fatty acids, which become encapsulated in droplets of water and washed away. Another piece of the puzzle not mentioned by the soap industry in its marketing of expensive antibacterial agents to consumers is that many of the most common diseases are viral in nature and therefore not prevented by antibacterial products! So take the advice of some of the world’s best microbiologists and medical doctors, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and wash your hands, your baby and your home thoroughly with ordinary soap and warm water or traditional cleaning agents. And you will be effectively, safely and inexpensively warding off infection while not destroying your family’s natural immunity.
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