Soap to Prevent A1H1N1 Contamination

If you have pomegranate, try including the juice in a soap. Or drink the juice. It's very high in ellagic acid, a broad spectrum antiviral with activity against Influenza A.

google castile soap

I trained my kids and other family members to wash their hands as soon as they walk into the house … then what ever they touch they should handle with clean hands and do not spread nasty pathogens ... my neighbor and her girls who go to public school were sick almost every month with cold or flue... last year she and her daughters were healthy all year long because they followed my advice to wash hands as soon as they come home ... it is important to wash hands for the appropriate amount of time ... they recommend to sing Happy Birthday song to be certain that the hands are clean ... then if the immune system is strong it should handle the number and type of the pathogens that people are in contact with at home and in public ... there are various nutrients that boost the immune responses, glyconutrients are one of them ... Jaan

LIKE IT!

I am pretty sure that you also only use "normal" soap as well, just like we do.......

Soap with strong disinfection stuff in it is not only "overkill", but often bad for your skin in the longterm as well. Simply too aggressive.

Yes, I am against using soaps with disinfection agents because I do not consider them safe … the chemicals get into our blood stream readily therefore they are not good for us if we do not need them ... I might use them if going to a medical building during an epidemic or if my own immune system would be compromised ... then I would need the extra protection ... until then I rather protect our environment as antibacterial soaps are not environmentally smart ... they make the bacterium more resistant and then the medicine may not work when we need it. - Jaan

Andy and Jaan made the most important point. Good handwashing habits - no special soap required. Antibacterial or disinfectant is overkill, and will tend to increase your risks in the long term.

The skin is an ecological "niche" - it has a normal community of harmless yeasts and bacteria. When you empty the niche by killing "99%" of everything, well the empty niche is like the "vacuum" abhorred by nature. It's not empty for long. It's the perfect situation for "unkilled or resistant bacteria 1%" or any pathogen that happens along to make itself at home and flourish. And of course, all the market "antibacterials" are mass produced and likely to be associated with resistant pathogens - simply the worst thing to invite to take over your skin.

I got the handwashing habits as a family tradition - from my grandmother who was a midwife in the outports in the days when they had no electricity or running water. She knew how to keep clean, and none of the women she delivered ever got infections, which caused so many others to die in those days. No special soap there.

Personally, I like very hot water for dishes as a routine, and also use hot water to wash the bed linens of anyone who is sick. In both cases, ordinary soap or detergent.

Another good post.

I must admit I am pleasantly surprised by the response, really good Guys.

Personally, I like very hot water for dishes as a routine, and also use hot water to wash the bed linens of anyone who is sick. In both cases, ordinary soap or detergent.

My grandmother boiled white linen in a pot with boiling water and shaved soap on hot stove … when I was small I remember watching my mom taking the hot towels or sheets out of the pot carefully not to scorch herself or let the hot water drip on the floor that would have been discolored … I am the last generation who also washes linen and towels, and everything white made from cotton in hot water ... it kills everything, mites including ... a sick person should change linen frequently and pillow cases daily to avoid cross-contamination or spread the pathogens to others … for that matter I love dishwasher because everything is washed and rinsed by hot water … if I wash dishes by hand, often my hands turn red because I wash and rinse everything under hot running water … my rule is that whoever empties the dishwasher must wash hands first and then put things away … I am lucky because all the family members comply without any objections.

Jaan

i agree with you on all points.

We only "wash up" when camping, (because the dishwasher, when used correctly, does a more hygenic job!) but always with very hot water AND rubber gloves!! You can stand far hotter water with gloves on AND you are not caught "Red handed" afterwards!!!

Yep. We agree on all points about the hot water.

My dishing system is to first soak the dishes for five minutes in the hottest soapy water available - generally too hot to put your hands in. Then they are washed, and rinsed one by one under hot running water before they're stacked. I don't have a dishwasher, and I find gloves are a bit awkward, but there's a technique for handling the dishes when rinsing hot, to minimize the red hands.

Changing the linens especially pillowcases daily for someone sick with flu is very important. The surfaces in the sick person's room should be wiped down daily as well, to avoid infection and re-infection from virus residues lurking in dust.

For the OP, in an office situation, at least daily cleaning the door handles and other frequent contact sites with hot soapy water is a good precaution. (And this is where I use my rubber gloves! )

I agree completely. It's not the soap that necessarily cleans your hands. It's the friction. The friction loosens the "shack nasties", soap is the surfactant that lifts it up, and the water washes it away. Effective hand washing requires all three. The key again is sufficient friction. You would be better to provide instruction that includes washing for sufficient duration (20-30 seconds) concentrating between the fingers, under the nails, nail beds,... vs. the use of anti-bacterial soap.

Ah thank you Andy once again you have directed all to the cause/cure rather than symptoms.

We make our soap, castile soap, we can in one evolution make enough soap for us and extended family plus many friends enough for a full years use; costs to us after all the gifting etc. about 40¢/bar. Castile or vegetable oil based soap is gentle and kind to skin, hair, and for shaving (liquid works swell), even teeth, car, laundry, LCD screens etc. whenever a mild soap is recommended but it's not mild on grime or pathogens.

It is as you have stated and additionally train to kept fingers out of mouth, around mouth nor on face. Don't fidget, fondle and take care of you parts and they will care for you're well being; simple cause and effect rules apply.

Shaking hands doesn't prove intent the knuckle bump will suffice.

Good Post.

I shake hands, but unbeknown to the other person, I am MOST careful what I do with them till I can wash them again.

Several of us noticed in my old company, the finer the suite that was worn (managers!), the less likely they were to wash their hands after using the toilet!!! UGH!!!!!

Try not to touch your food, eyes, nose and personal things after shaking hands with people ... one never knows ... Kleenex should be discarded after one use ... money is the dirtiest object on Earth therefore it should be handled carefully ... I also keep in mind that stocked items in the supermarkets could be handled and sneezed on by sick individuals ... what a tragedy in the lives of women who were infected by medical doctors who refused to wash hands between examinations ... a study showed that nurses and doctors did not wash hands often enough ... they harbored pathogens behind their nails and also on the ties ... the overcoats should be changed more often than is the norm ... one does not have to panic just use common sense – eat sensibly and wash hands regularly … Jaan

I also keep in mind that stocked items in the supermarkets could be handled and sneezed on by sick individuals

BTW rodents can run across items at the warehouse also and be especially cautious of handling unwashed produce...

I have a bottle of hand sanitizer that is 62% ethanol. Lysol disinfectant lists the active inggredients on the label as (Alkyl (50% C14, 40% C12, 10% C16) dimethyl benzyl ammonium chlorides... 1.1856%). Probably derived from coconut oil. Dawn antibacterial dishwashing liquid lists "Triclosan 0.01%" as the active antibacterial. Try those for a starting point. Those are each claimed to kill germs and bacteria.

LIFEBOUY soap is said to have antibacterial properties being a carbolic acid present soap. The AROMATIC PHENOLIC groups present in any formulations including salicylates have protection properties.Cautious dosges are to be planned.

General caustic based soaps have to some extent antibacterial activity.

The simplest liquid soap formulation is based on ACID SLURRY neutralized with caustic. Both the aromatic and alkali component should take care of the higene safety.

Otherwise it is the formulation secracy. Lot of literatures and practical books on soaps you can find in the market.

There are good and bad bacteria by trying to kill all bacteria you only end up creating a stronger bacteria in the end. Anyway killing all the bacteria on your skin will leave you open to infections and fungi infections even warts.

Read about Howie Mandels experience.