Ask A Scientist General Science Archive

 
name Y.E. S.
status educator
age 40s

Question  - Which cleans more effectively: Soap and water or
antibacterial  lotion/solution?
Here is the situation. I work at a school. My Principal  wants to maximize
the amount of instruction time possible per day. The  students (1st grade
and below) have 15 minutes of recess (does not include  PE) immediately
before lunch. In order to maximize the little time the  students have for
recess, Teachers are squirting this anti-bacterial gel in  their hands as
the students go straight to lunch from the playground (sand  boxes, slides,
monkey bars, climbing things). A lot of us are concerned  about this process
and are worried about cleanliness. My principal says he  wants us to locate
research/data/information that speaks to problems with  this process. In
order to make changes in the schedule to allow for the need  to wash hands
with soap and water. I believe that the anti-bacterial gel is  NOT a
panacea. Can you give me an answer or at least point me in the right
direction to find this data or research?
----------------
Try going to _http://www.cdc.gov_ (http://www.cdc.gov)
This is the webpage for the Centers for Disease Control.  Then I would
search under Handwashing, or Antiseptics or alcohol based gel.

vanhoeck
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Dear Y.E.S.,

I am not a biologist so I hope you get some good answers from them.
However, I am a teacher.  This hand washing ban must STOP.  The
chemicals that this will put on the kids hands before they eat lunch is not
anything I would put in my own mouth.  Many contain alcohol which will kill
bacteria but would I want to get it on my peanut butter and jelly sandwich?
I think not.

This answer probably will not impress your principal since it is my 
opinion and
not "data based".  Call a pediatrician or your own physician  and get a good
answer.  There is no sense to me to use these antibacterial gels and then
eat them during lunch.  Soap and water is still the best.  It is a shame that
good hygiene is being sacrificed for TIME.

Call your PTA or PTO president and ask them to take a poll of the parents.
Would you want your kid to have the opportunity to wash his/her hands before
lunch?  This is simply common sense.  It seems to me that if I were a parent
I would demand that the students get an additional 5 minutes to wash their
hands when they come in for lunch.  The additional 5 minutes from
instructional time would be worth it and I doubt if it would effect their
overall academic progress.

Good Luck,
Martha Croll
Angry Science Teacher
====================================================
I am almost totally opposed to the general use of antibacterial soaps etc.
There are a few studies ( I seem to recall one by Dr. Eli Perencevich) that
indicate these soaps select for resistant strains of bacteria.  Most
microbiologists seem to agree (including me) that these soaps are
unnecessary, and pose certain dangers. For my own personal health, I would
never use antibacterial gels, washes, lotions etc. Soap (i.e.,
non-antibacterial) and water is by far a better approach since this age old
practice sufficiently cleans hands and does not contribute to the
advancement of resistant bacterial strains, nor does it eliminate all the
"commensal bacteria".  On an educational level, it models poor values to
students when adults cannot even find the time to WASH THEIR
HANDS...goodness!

Dr. Peter Faletra
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