Liquid soap - is there an O/S version?

Justamum

valk_scot wrote: »

Yes, that would work too. Or just a shake and air dry rather than use a dirty towel! There was a study done somewhere about how drying your hands on the edge of your own clothes was far more hygenic that using a communal towel, especially when outside the house.

I remember those awful roller towels which used to be in public loos! :eek::eek:

BitterAndTwisted

Soap is by its very nature anti-bacterial. Adding a bit of clean water to thick liquid soap of any kind will not risk adding pathogens. I've never hard of such nonsense! The only requirement is to lather the hands thoroughly and it doesn't really matter what kind of soap you use as long as it's soap.

Gigervamp

BitterAndTwisted wrote: »

Soap is by its very nature anti-bacterial. Adding a bit of clean water to thick liquid soap of any kind will not risk adding pathogens. I've never hard of such nonsense! The only requirement is to lather the hands thoroughly and it doesn't really matter what kind of soap you use as long as it's soap.

Adding water dilutes the preservative. All cosmetic products containing water need a preservative because it contains water.

The amount of preservative used is tiny. Usually 0.5-1.5% and the amount used is exactly tailored to the specific formula.

When I started making soaps and cosmetics, as I was planning on starting a business, I had to do a lot of research which included reading reams of peer reviewed scientific studies on the ingredients that I would be using, in order to make a safe product, (not to mention having to adhere to the EU Cosmetics Directive) so I do know a bit about what I'm talking about!

Pathogens LOVE water. You go adding water to a product, you reduce the effectiveness of the preservative. You go adding a load of water, the product will no longer be preserved.

LittleMissAspie

Damn I lost my post. Here it is again.

I think antibacterial soap is completely unnecessary in the home, but I do think that soap and hot water is necessary, it's just basic hygiene.

I'm quite annoyed with my boyfriend as we've been living together for 8 years with nice bars of soap in the bathroom, and only recently do I find out that he hates bars of soap so much that he has NEVER used them. He washes his hands with plain cold water, even after a number 2! So now I'm forced to buy liquid handwash for him, when soap is so much better for the environment. Fusspot.

You can get pumps that turn gel into foam, I would buy those rather than add water. Bacteria loves room temperature water and the preservatives in products are based on the recipe. If you add more water, there won't be enough preservative.

patchwork_cat

I'll be honest I am much more concerned about watering down the milk. If you drink 1 1/2 pints of milk then the nutritional content should be fine, but if you drink 3/4 pint then you are not getting the recommended nutrients. So basically if you only get your dairy from milk and only drink 3/4 pint, then you could well be short on calcium which is essential for children and particularly for women to keep bones strong, not to mention the protein and others.

brizey47

Just a tip I've used for a while, hand soap dispensers are around a £1 each for a fairly small bottle, if you refill them with cheap bath foam which you can often get for less than a pound for a big bottle or even "value" shower gel which I've seen in Morrisons as cheap as 10p you can refill them for pennies a time, maybe not suitable for a guest bathroom but easily good enough for kitchen use.

defairmans

But not antibacterial. May make your hands smell nice and feel soft but there is the potential of having to spend that money in long run on cold/flu/stomach virus medicines. I always buy antibacterial and have reduced number of colds and flus drastically.

Coopdivi

Even cheaper, just buy a bar of soap. It will last for much much longer than any liquid soap because you add your own water rather than paying through the nose for manufacturers to mix it in for you.

Antibacterial soaps are just a marketing ploy. They are no more effective at cleansing than ordinary soap.

The most important step to prevent the spread of infection is to wash your hands (and other areas) properly.

http://www.wash-hands.com/hand_hygiene_and_you/how_to_wash_your_hands

kerri_dfw

You can buy the raw ingredients yourself too, just put in saucepan and mix with essential oil. 1kg of soap base cost me under £4 and I make my own bars with colouring, flowers, perfume. The liquid soap cost me about £4 for a litre. It makes my hands softer too as less rubbish products in the soap Just an idea

Haffiana

There is evidence that suggests that excessive use of antibacterial products may increase the likelihood of infections. Avoid. Use normal soap for cleaning.