YES.
Alcohol-based disinfectants are also effective, but soap is a highly efficient and preferred way of killing the virus when it’s on your skin.
Proper hand washing technique (soap and water) > alcohol based hand sanitizers (58%+) > alcohol-free hand sanitizers (better than nothing, but not recommended by CDC unless no other option).
Alcohol-based products, which includes most “disinfectant” and “hand sanitizing” products, contain a high-percentage alcohol solution (typically 60-80% ethanol) and kill viruses in a similar fashion as soap, by dissolving the fatty layer holding it together. But soap is better because you only need a fairly small amount of soapy water, which, with rubbing, covers your entire hand easily. Whereas you need to literally soak the virus in ethanol for a moment – and wipes or rubbing a gel on the hands does not guarantee that you soak every corner of the skin on your hands as effectively as you would with soap.
Disinfectants, or liquids, wipes, gels and creams containing alcohol (and soap) have a similar effects but are not really quite as good as normal soap. Apart from the alcohol and soap, the “antibacterial agents” in these products don’t affect the virus structure much at all.
Consequently, many antibacterial products are basically just an expensive version of soap in terms of how they act on viruses.
Viruses can be active outside the body for hours, even days, depending on the surface, temperature, humidity, UV exposure and other factors. Disinfectants, sanitizers, liquids, wipes, gels and creams containing alcohol are all useful at getting rid of them – but none of them are quite as good as normal soap.
Health officials say it’s important everyone has access to a hand sanitizer for times they do not have access to a sink, but not to use it as a substitute if you do have the option of soap and water.
Interesting Instagram post showing the cleaning power difference between different approaches: https://www.instagram.com/p/B9SII1Fp9B6/
Source: CDC; WHO; additional research
- Click here for an indepth explanation on how soap destroys viruses.
- Click here for info on effectiveness of disinfectants and hand sanitizers against coronavirus
- CDC factsheet on hand washing vs sanitizers
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Similar questions: Is washing your hands with soap and water really better than using disinfectants? Is soap and water really more effective against coronavirus than hand sanitizers?
