Is water alone enough to clean off your hands. how does soap work
2007-03-12 09:13:44 · 7 answers · asked by Adley M 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Trivia
water alone can only wash off some dirt, but to get rid of most germs, you need soap...
soap does not increase slipperiness (well, it does, but that's not how it gets rid of germs). on the molecular level, one end of a soap molecule is hydrophobic (dislikes water, clings to dirt) while the other clings to water. the attraction of the end that likes water is stronger than the opposite's attraction to dirt, so the molecules are washed away with the water, with the dirt (or germs...) clinging on to the other end
2007-03-12 10:09:16 · answer #1 · answered by sangogirl8 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was told that if you rub your hands with soap and water for the same time it takes to sing Happy Birthday song , your hands would be free of germs.
2007-03-12 22:07:56 · answer #2 · answered by clayberg 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no h2o is not enough to get something truly clean-- free of dirt and germs. soap with water increases the surfactant(slipperiness) of a surface to the point that dirt and germs cannot stick to its surface.
2007-03-12 16:32:39 · answer #3 · answered by ginarose 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no it is not enough alone. well i believe soap make it slippery so when you rub your hands when you wash them the dirt comes off. and if you use antibacterial soap it kills bacteria in the process.
2007-03-12 16:18:35 · answer #4 · answered by Mustng0021 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
water can wash off the visible dirt, but soap kills germs and bacteria you can't see. soap suspends some particles, like grease or oil, that don't mix well with water so they can be rinsed off.
2007-03-12 16:24:29 · answer #5 · answered by wendy_da_goodlil_witch 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If what you're trying to get off isn't oily, yes. If it is, just use soap, it'll come right off.
2007-03-12 16:21:31 · answer #6 · answered by teejay_mc 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It depends what is on your hands.
2007-03-12 16:20:43 · answer #7 · answered by Joan McBitch 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋