Is a bar of soap sanitary vs. soap in a pump bottle?

Question

I've been wondering how sanitary a bar of soap is compared to using soap from a soap dispenser or pump bottle. Also, for showering, should each person have their own bar of soap and/or bottle of liquid soap?

Answer 1

Bacteria does build up on the outside of soap bars - I don't know why - but I do remember reading about it in magazine article (a health magazine in 2006). I use liquid anti-bacterial soap myself, but if you're skin is not broken - then it shouldn't really be a problem. If the soap is being shared by people who are not family members (people with similar genetic blueprints) then I probably would suggest that each person used their own bar of soap. The likelihood of you getting something from soap however is - well, to my knowledge negligible. Most germs die within a few minutes after being exposed to air, with the exception of HepB, which lasts up to 7 days (but only in blood products). If there's nothing like that on the soap, then there's absolutely nothing to worry about. You pose an interesting question, but if you're really worried about it - buy yourself some anti-bacterial soap, get yourself a bar of soap/or liquid soap (if you want to smell pretty, and not like dettol) and spend the extra $0.80 on a soap container that you can put it in. I hope this helps.

Answer 2

Are Bars Of Soap Sanitary

Answer 3

A bar of soap is less sanitary than a dispenser of liquid soap. Same in a shower or on the sink top. Should each person have their own bar of soap? That depends on the likely hood of infection. If I were rooming with someone who worked in health care or who had a job that exposed them to a greater number of infectious agents, I'd opt for liquid soap. Most soap doesn't kill the microbes, it just floats them so they rinse away with the washing.

Answer 4

Think about what soap is used for. It is used for cleaning. It is therefore inherently clean and sanitary. My answer would be that a bar would be more sanitary that a pump bottle. Why? Theoretically, you touch the pump before you wash, therefore any germs were transferred to the pump before you washed.

I have no problem using a bar of soap that someone else uses. It's soap. It's clean.

Answer 5

I think that liquid soap is best. I do not like bar soap. If you choose to use bar soap, each person should have their own. Don't use other people sponges or wash rags either. You have no idea how many dead cells linger after someone takes a shower or bath.

Answer 6

What's cleaner and more sanitary than a bar of soap? Nothing.

I don't see how it can possibly be worse than a pump bottle. I also don't see how it can possibly be disgusting to use a bar of soap after somebody.

Answer 7

Rinse the bar of soap off in the shower before you use it to eliminate the outer layer. I would believe there would be more germs on the pump rather than the bar.

Answer 8

That's funny-- I can't stand using anyone's bar of soap. If I stay at my mom's house and there's a "used" bar of soap in the shower, I can't use it. My husband & I use different bars- we never even talked about it, we just did! On my hands, it's not so bad, but I just can't use a used bar on my body.

Answer 9

IN MY MOM'S HOUSE EVERYONE HAS THEIR OWN SOAP BARS AND SOAP BOTTLES.

AND NO IT'S NOT SANITARY BECAUSE IF YOU NOTICE A PERSON'S GERMS IS LEFT ON THE SOAP BARS EVERYTIME THEY USE.

FOR EXAMPLE: WHEN YOU SEE SUDS LEFT ON SOAP BARS THAT'S A PERSON'S GERMS LEFT ON THAT SOAP SO IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO RINSE SOAP AFTER YOU USE IT.

Answer 10

Nor can I. That's disgusting.