THE PANDEMIC TAUGHT US JUST HOW IMPORTANT HAND HYGIENE IS. WE WENT TO UPMC INFECTIOUS DISEASES SPECIALIST DR. GRAHAM SNYDER TO SEE IF A BAR OF SOAP GETS THE GERMS OFF YOUR HANDS, AS WELL AS LIQUID. SHORT ANSWER IS THAT IT’S PROBABLY FINE IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO REALLY NIT PICK THE SCIENCE. THERE ARE A COUPLE STUDIES THAT SAY BACTERIA CAN SIT AROUND ON SOAP, BUT NOBODY’S EVER REALLY PROVEN THAT THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE AND YOU PROBABLY WASH THEM OFF ANYWAY. A REFRESHER LESSON ON EFFECTIVE HANDWASHING. GONNA BE TO PUT ON THE HOT AND COLD WATER. WE DON’T WANT SCALDING HOT WATER BECAUSE THAT’S HARD ON OUR HANDS AND WE DON’T WANT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE SKIN OF OUR HANDS IS HEALTHY AND SO IT HARBORS THE BACTERIA THAT ARE NATURAL AND HEALTHY AND IS NOT A RESERVOIR OR A GOOD PLACE FOR BAD BACTERIA TO BE. IT’S IMPORTANT TO RUB, RUB, RUB, AND YOU WANT TO GET ALL THE SURFACES HAVE NOT TURNED OFF THE WATER YET BECAUSE REMEMBER, I TOUCHED THE HANDLE WITH MY PRE-WASHED HANDS, SO I MAY HAVE CONTAMINATED THE HANDLE AFTER GENTLY DRYING AGAIN. I WANT TO BE KIND TO MY SKIN WATER OFF AND DISPOSE OF THE TOWEL. OKAY. THAT’S WITH LIQUID. WHAT ABOUT A BAR OF SOAP? THERE’S AN OLD BAR OF IVORY. I DON’T THINK IT GETS MORE OLD TIMEY THAN THAT. THE KEY WITH A BAR OF SOAP IS. IS YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE YOU DEVELOP THE SUDS, BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT’S THE IT’S THE SUBSTANCES THAT ARE IN THE SOAP THAT CAN HELP LOOSEN DIRT AND BACTERIA AND BREAK DOWN THOSE BACTERIAL CELL WALLS POTENTIALLY. SO IT’S THE SAME OUTCOME WHETHER IT’S FOAMED SOAP OR IT’S LIQUID SOAP. WILEY SAYS A BAR OF SOAP IS NOT A GOOD IDEA IN A HOSPITAL SETTING AT HOME, IT’S FINE EITHER IS FINE IN THE HOUSE, I THINK. BAR SOAP, LIQUID SOAP, IF YOU HAVE ONE OF THE PUMPS THAT MAKES THE FOAMING SOAP, IT MAKES IT A LITTLE EASIER FOR YOU TO GET TO THE FOAMING STAGE AND WASH ALL THE SURFACES OF YOUR HANDS AND FINGERS. ANY OF THE THREE OF THOSE ARE GOING TO SERVE YOU REALLY WELL. REMEMBER, AS LONG AS YOU’RE GETTING A GOOD LATHER AND YOU TAKE YOUR TIME TO GET ALL THE SURFACES SCRUBBED, SNYDER SAYS, IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT FORM YOUR HAND SOAP COMES IN, IT’S ALL ABOUT THE BUBBLES. THAT’S A GOOD WAY TO THINK ABOUT IT. I LIKE TO. WHEN I’M AT HOME WITH OUR TODDLER AND WE’RE TRYING TO TEACH HER HOW TO DO THE HANDS. WE DON’T STOP WASHING OUR HANDS UNTIL WE SEE GOOD BUBBLES, AND THEN WE COVER ALL THE SURFACES OF OUR HANDS AND FINGERS. AND THAT’S HOW, YOU KNOW, YOU’VE DONE A GOOD JOB. NOW LET’S DO SOME LAUNDRY. TARA MONACO JUST STARTED USING A NEW PRODUCT. LAUNDRY STRIPS. WE USE SO MUCH PLASTIC BECAUSE WE ALL LOVE A DIFFERENT FLAVOR OR A DIFFERENT SMELL. BUT WHEN YOU SEE LIKE THESE ARE IMPOSSIBLE TO RECYCLE, LOOK AT HOW BIG THEY ARE AND I CAN’T EVEN CARRY THEM HALF THE TIME BECAUSE I HAD BEEN TRYING TO GET MY FAMILY ON BOARD. I’M LIKE, GUYS, LET’S TRY THEM. WE DON’T WANT CHANGE, RIGHT? IT’S HARD. SO I’M LIKE, I’M GOING TO WORK THESE INTO OUR ROUTINE AND NOT TELL ANYBODY EVEN WE WANTED TO KNOW IF HER LAUNDRY SNEAK ATTACK ON HER FAMILY WORKED USING THE STRIPS OF DETERGENT IS PRETTY EASY. THIS ONE STRIP CAN DO A FULL STUFFED LOAD. IT LOOKS LIKE A DRYER SHEET. IT DOES, BUT IT’S KIND OF TACKY. YOU CAN TELL IT’S. SO THAT’S DEHYDRATED. YEAH. LAUNDRY DETERGENT. IT IS BURIED IN. JUST HIT THE BUTTON. SMELL IT. IT’S GOOD. HERE’S THE TEST. HERE’S A BLACK SOCK. BECAUSE THIS IS WHERE ALL THE SOCKS GO, RIGHT? THERE’S THIS SINGULAR SOCK. BUT THERE’S. I MEAN, IT’S JUST. THERE’S NOTHING ON IT. THERE’S NO DETERGENT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO OUT OF FOUR STARS, HOW MANY STARS? I LOVE IT. I GAVE IT FOUR. OKAY. DINNER WITH HIM. IS YOUR STUFF CLEAN? IT’S SO CLEAN. IT’S PERFECT. TARA MONACO SAYS IT IS SAVING HER MONEY, TOO. FOR $12.69 ON AMAZON, I FOUND THESE STRIPS THAT SAY THEY’LL DO 160 MEDIUM LOADS. THAT’S LESS THAN $0.08 A LOAD FOR 1279. YOU CAN BUY A PLASTIC BOTTLE OF TIDE THAT SAYS IT WILL DO JUST 64 LOADS OR JUST UNDER $0.20 PER LOAD. THE LAUNDRY STRIPS SAVE YOU MONEY. MOMS LIKE TARA ARE GETTING THEIR FAMILY ON TRACK TO SAVE THE PLANET IT AND SAVE A BUCK. THEY DO IT. JUST YOU NEED THAT LITTLE PUSH. AND I THINK ONCE YOU START DOING IT, LIKE I SAID, THIS SMELLS FRESH. NOBODY EVEN RECOGNIZES THE DIFFERENCE. AND THAT’S NOT GOING TO FILL UP THE RECYCLING BIN. OKAY. SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THE BAR SOAP. AGAIN, WE DID SOME HIGH LEVEL MATH TO SEE IF USING BAR SOAP OVER LIQUID SAVES YOU MONEY. IT DOES A LOT. 1000 HAND WASHES WITH LIQUID SOAP RUNS ABOUT $12.73, 1000 HAND WASHES WITH A BAR OF SOAP. JUST A FRACTION
Going green: Washing your hands and doing laundry
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Updated: 10:40 PM EDT May 23, 2023
Finding cleaning products that come in paper or cardboard keeps getting easier.We wanted to know if they actually get the job done and save you money.The pandemic taught us just how important hand hygiene is. We went to UPMC infectious diseases specialist Dr. Graham Snyder to see if a bar of soap gets the germs off your hands as well as liquid."The short answer is, it's probably fine," Snyder said. "If somebody wants to nitpick the science, there are a couple studies that say bacteria can sit around on soap. But nobody's ever proven that that makes a difference. And you probably wash them off anyway."A refresher lesson on effective hand-washing. Here's what Snyder recommends:Turn on both the hot and cold water to make sure the water isn't scalding hot. Scalding water is hard on our hands, making them less healthy and better reservoirs for bad bacteria. Rub, rub, rub. Get between fingers, around the thumbs, in the nails, and make sure every surface is nice and sudsy.Turn off the water with a towel after gently drying your hands. Touching a handle after washing your hands can re-expose your hands to the harmful bacteria that were on them before. Ok, that's with liquid — what about a bar of soap? It doesn't get more old-timey than that."The key with a bar of soap is, you want to get the suds," Snyder said. "Because again, it's the substances that are in the soap that can help loosen dirt and bacteria and break down those bacteria cell walls potentially. It's the same outcome, whether it's foam soap or liquid soap."While he says bar soap is not a good idea in a hospital setting, at home, it's fine."I think bar soap, liquid soap, one of the pumps that makes the foaming soap ... any of the three of those are going to serve you really well," Snyder said.Remember, as long as you are getting a good lather and you take your time to get all the surfaces scrubbed, Snyder says it doesn't matter what form your hand soap comes in.It's all about the bubbles. "That's a good way to think of it. When I'm at home with our toddler, we're trying to teach her how to do her hands. We don't stop washing our hands until we see good bubbles and we cover all the surfaces of our hands and finger. And that's how you know you've done a good job," Snyder said. Now let's do some laundry. Edgewood resident Tara Monaco just started using a new product: laundry strips."We use so much plastic" with laundry detergent bottles "because everyone loves a different flavor or a different smell," she said. "These are impossible to recycle: look how big they are. And I can't even carry them half the time."Monaco says she has been trying to get her family on board with laundry strips. Her family resisted the change, then she eventually decided she was "going to work these into our routine and not tell anybody."We wanted to know if her laundry sneak attack on her family worked. Using the strips of detergent is easy.Monaco says one strip can do a full-stuffed load. A dehydrated laundry detergent strip looks like a dryer sheet, but it has a tacky feel to it. After putting a strip to the test, Monaco gives the strips four out of four stars.She said they leave her laundry "so clean. It's perfect." Monaco said it is saving her money, too.For $12.69 on Amazon, I found laundry strips that say they'll do 160 medium loads. That's less than 8 cents a load. For $12.79, you can buy a plastic bottle of Tide that says it will do just 64 loads, or just under 20 cents a load.The laundry strips save you money. Moms like Monaco are getting their family on track to save the planet and save a buck.Families "just need that little push," she said. "Honestly, like I said, it smells fresh, nobody even recognizes the difference and — " she said, pointing to a plastic detergent bottle — "that's not going to fill up the recycling bin."We also did some high-level math to see if using bar soap over liquid soap saves you money. It does — a lot.One thousand handwashes with liquid soap runs about $12.73. One thousand handwashes with bar soap costs a fraction of that: $4.51.
PITTSBURGH — Finding cleaning products that come in paper or cardboard keeps getting easier.
We wanted to know if they actually get the job done and save you money.
The pandemic taught us just how important hand hygiene is. We went to UPMC infectious diseases specialist Dr. Graham Snyder to see if a bar of soap gets the germs off your hands as well as liquid.
"The short answer is, it's probably fine," Snyder said. "If somebody wants to nitpick the science, there are a couple studies that say bacteria can sit around on soap. But nobody's ever proven that that makes a difference. And you probably wash them off anyway."
A refresher lesson on effective hand-washing. Here's what Snyder recommends:
- Turn on both the hot and cold water to make sure the water isn't scalding hot. Scalding water is hard on our hands, making them less healthy and better reservoirs for bad bacteria.
- Rub, rub, rub. Get between fingers, around the thumbs, in the nails, and make sure every surface is nice and sudsy.
- Turn off the water with a towel after gently drying your hands. Touching a handle after washing your hands can re-expose your hands to the harmful bacteria that were on them before.
Ok, that's with liquid — what about a bar of soap? It doesn't get more old-timey than that.
"The key with a bar of soap is, you want to get the suds," Snyder said. "Because again, it's the substances that are in the soap that can help loosen dirt and bacteria and break down those bacteria cell walls potentially. It's the same outcome, whether it's foam soap or liquid soap."
While he says bar soap is not a good idea in a hospital setting, at home, it's fine.
"I think bar soap, liquid soap, one of the pumps that makes the foaming soap ... any of the three of those are going to serve you really well," Snyder said.
Remember, as long as you are getting a good lather and you take your time to get all the surfaces scrubbed, Snyder says it doesn't matter what form your hand soap comes in.
It's all about the bubbles.
"That's a good way to think of it. When I'm at home with our toddler, we're trying to teach her how to do her hands. We don't stop washing our hands until we see good bubbles and we cover all the surfaces of our hands and finger. And that's how you know you've done a good job," Snyder said.
Now let's do some laundry. Edgewood resident Tara Monaco just started using a new product: laundry strips.
"We use so much plastic" with laundry detergent bottles "because everyone loves a different flavor or a different smell," she said. "These are impossible to recycle: look how big they are. And I can't even carry them half the time."
Monaco says she has been trying to get her family on board with laundry strips. Her family resisted the change, then she eventually decided she was "going to work these into our routine and not tell anybody."
We wanted to know if her laundry sneak attack on her family worked. Using the strips of detergent is easy.
Monaco says one strip can do a full-stuffed load. A dehydrated laundry detergent strip looks like a dryer sheet, but it has a tacky feel to it. After putting a strip to the test, Monaco gives the strips four out of four stars.
She said they leave her laundry "so clean. It's perfect." Monaco said it is saving her money, too.
For $12.69 on Amazon, I found laundry strips that say they'll do 160 medium loads. That's less than 8 cents a load. For $12.79, you can buy a plastic bottle of Tide that says it will do just 64 loads, or just under 20 cents a load.
The laundry strips save you money. Moms like Monaco are getting their family on track to save the planet and save a buck.
Families "just need that little push," she said. "Honestly, like I said, it smells fresh, nobody even recognizes the difference and — " she said, pointing to a plastic detergent bottle — "that's not going to fill up the recycling bin."
We also did some high-level math to see if using bar soap over liquid soap saves you money. It does — a lot.
One thousand handwashes with liquid soap runs about $12.73. One thousand handwashes with bar soap costs a fraction of that: $4.51.
