Do You Use Anti-bacteria Hand Wash or Regular Hand Wash?
By M Cheung
@Beestring (14675)
Hong Kong
November 13, 2022 4:08am CST
With Covid spreading, stores here sell mostly antibacterial hand wash. I also use antibacterial hand wash for peace of mind. Our hands have an oily layer which germs stick to. When we clean our hands with hand wash and water, the hand wash binds with both the oily layer and water. This helps to rinse off the oily layer on our hands that contains germs. Any type of hand wash can remove germs from our hands as long as it is used properly. For example, washing our hands for at least 20 seconds. There is currently insufficient evidence to prove that antibacterial hand wash is better than regular hand wash. Antibacterial hand wash usually contains a chemical called triclosan which is meant to stop the production of bacteria. However, some studies have revealed that long-term exposure to these chemicals may cause dry skin and bacterial resistance.
Do you use antibacterial hand wash or regular one?
21 people like this
23 responses
@LadyDuck (472004)
• Switzerland
13 Nov 22
@Beestring I buy a liquid soap for sensitive skin, unscented.
7 people like this
@Beestring (14675)
• Hong Kong
13 Nov 22
That makes sense. It's not easy to find regular hand wash without fragrance here. I'm using an antibacterial hand wash for sensitive skin.
6 people like this
@Beestring (14675)
• Hong Kong
13 Nov 22
@LadyDuck That's good. Do you have sensitive skin?
6 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137477)
• United States
13 Nov 22
I use regular soap and water to clean my hands.
4 people like this
@DaddyEvil (137477)
• United States
13 Nov 22
@Beestring I bought a bunch of the hand soaps in the pump bottles that the stores were discontinuing when the antibacterial ones were taking their place on the shelves. They were selling large bottles for 25 cents each.
3 people like this
@Beestring (14675)
• Hong Kong
13 Nov 22
That's good enough. But here, stores mainly sell antibacterial ones.
2 people like this
@aninditasen (16505)
• Raurkela, India
13 Nov 22
Any soap that you use frequently causes your skin to get dry. I therefore oil my hands as many times that I wash my hands with soap. I have seen my mother do this.
2 people like this
@aninditasen (16505)
• Raurkela, India
14 Nov 22
@Beestring That should be in order to keep are skin in good condition.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14675)
• Hong Kong
13 Nov 22
I also apply moisturizer on my hands after washing.
2 people like this
@Herahestia93 (152)
• Indonesia
13 Nov 22
At the beginning of covid I always wash my hands every 1 hour with regular soap. Use hand sanitizer frequently. I was laughed at by my friends for doing that.
3 people like this
@Beestring (14675)
• Hong Kong
13 Nov 22
I'm afraid if you wash your hands and use hand sanitizer that frequently, your hands would be very dry.
1 person likes this
@Herahestia93 (152)
• Indonesia
13 Nov 22
@Beestring Yes That's why I don't do that anymore
2 people like this
@snowy22315 (181974)
• United States
13 Nov 22
I just use liquid soap and water. I read somewhere that anti bacterial soap are not good to wash with. A certain amount of bacteria is supposedly beneficial.
2 people like this
@RebeccasFarm (90294)
• Arvada, Colorado
13 Nov 22
I had never used the anti bacterial as it dries out my skin.
2 people like this
@Beestring (14675)
• Hong Kong
13 Nov 22
Yes, it dries out skin. I use the one for sensitive skin with moisturizer.
2 people like this
@FourWalls (68901)
• United States
13 Nov 22
Both, actually. When I am at the grocery or gas station i have hand sanitizer in my car, but I don’t use it in place of hand washing in the restroom.
2 people like this
@Tampa_girl7 (50599)
• United States
13 Apr
@Beestring We use a dish soap that is antibacterial too.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14675)
• Hong Kong
13 Nov 22
That's good enough. The problem is stores in my place sell mostly antibacterial.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14675)
• Hong Kong
13 Nov 22
That makes sense. We still have 5K-6K cases daily.
1 person likes this
@Treborika (17850)
• Mombasa, Kenya
14 Nov 22
I normally use any kind of hand washing liquid I don't care on the type or the brand. So long as it does the job of cleaning my hands I am good to go.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14675)
• Hong Kong
14 Nov 22
@Treborika But how does your government know if you are using hand wash at home?
@Treborika (17850)
• Mombasa, Kenya
14 Nov 22
@Beestring The demand to these things got risen up during the pandemic as all people in my country were using it because it was a mandatory by the ministry of health.
1 person likes this
@yanzalong (18987)
• Indonesia
11 Mar
I use both. I take antibacterial one when I feel I have touched many things outside.
1 person likes this
@jstory07 (139782)
• Roseburg, Oregon
14 Nov 22
@Beestring I have always washed my hands a lot to.
1 person likes this
@cacay1 (83577)
• Cagayan De Oro, Philippines
14 Nov 22
@Beestring, at home we mostly use antibacterial hand washing.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14675)
• Hong Kong
14 Nov 22
Actually, as mentioned in my post, there is not much difference in the effectiveness of antibacterial and regular hand wash. But I also use antibacterial for peace of mind.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29413)
• Eugene, Oregon
15 Apr 23
I think we have some of both around these days.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14675)
• Hong Kong
16 Apr 23
Shops here mainly sell anti-bacteria ones.
1 person likes this
@Beestring (14675)
• Hong Kong
9 May 23
Most of the soap on sale here are antibacterial.
1 person likes this
@Treborika (17850)
• Mombasa, Kenya
28 Jan 23
I no longer use a hand wash here. We were forced to use it during the covid 19 but since the virus is gone no more hand washing liquid here.
1 person likes this