Effectiveness of Antibacterial Soaps according to the Manufacturer

Handwashing with soap and water, while an acceptable way to cleans hands of oils, fats, soil, and microorganisms, is not very effective at eliminating possible harmful bacteria that can be found on hands. In this study 6 volunteers were asked to not use any personal hygiene product containing any antibacterial agents for 1 week. After the week, each volunteer was then inoculated with E. coli and each hand was washed with a different soap whose manufacturer claims a 99.9% reduction in bacteria from the hands two separate times. After plating of the sampling solution, plates were incubated for 1 day (24 hours). After 24 hours, a count was conducted on the plates. Individually Lysol® and Dial® both soaps eliminated at least the stated reduction of 99.9% in which the manufacturer’s claimed their products would eliminate. An overall average was taken and 2 out of 4 tests showed a 100% reduction.