When you were a child, you were probably told to wash your hands very well, and if you have children yourself, you probably tell them to do the same. These days, washing with antibacterial soap has become so ubiquitous that most people never even question it, but there are plenty of good reasons to go green and just to stick to old-fashioned soap and water!
If you are in charge of the soap buying needs in your household, you may want to reconsider the next time that you go to pick up some antibacterial soap. Check out some of the reasons below and you’ll soon be thinking twice.
1.It’s not as effective as you might think.
One reason that lots of people use antibacterial soap is because they believe it keeps them healthier. While it is true that antibacterial soap does kill off bacteria, the majority of the diseases that we routinely pick up are from viral infections, which are not hampered by antibacterial soap at all.
2.It creates stronger bacteria
There is some indication that the growing use of antibacterial soap is leading to bacteria that is significantly stronger and that is even resistant to standard antibiotics. When your body is constantly exposed to antibacterial elements, it can increase your resistance to the use of antibacterial medication. If you are in a situation where you are taking antibiotics to reduce a serious infection, you may find that the use of antibacterial soap has made you more resistant to the positive effects.
3.Pollution
When the antibacterial soap that you use is washed down the drain, it makes its way into the waste water and then into our environment very easily. Two of the chemicals that are used in antibacterial soap, namely triclosan and triclocarban, are being discovered in increasing quantities in waste water, in fish and even in breast milk. Recent studies point to the fact that though the amounts that show up in our food is small, it is still enough to disrupt thyroid function in frogs.
4.Some are flammable
More and more workplaces are seeing the introduction of waterless hand sanitizers. One of the main ingredient that is used in waterless hand sanitizers is alcohol, making it flammable. Small children should always be watched carefully when they use products like this.
When you are in a place when you are thinking about washing up, make sure that you think about what you are washing your hands with and what you can do to make sure that you are making the right choice.
Read more about things you can do to go green and save the environment. Download your FREE copy of 27 Way To Go Green and See Green.
