With all the fuss about masks, handwashing sometimes gets forgotten. But to slow the spread of COVID-19, handwashing is key. Handwashing can prevent:
- 1 in 3 cases of diarrhea
- 1 in 5 respiratory infections, such as the cold, flu or COVID-19
Washing your hands with soap doesn't just wash the coronavirus away. It annihilates it. But how?
Burst the coronavirus balloon
The coronavirus is surrounded by a fat-based envelope. Inside this protective envelope is what the virus needs to make copies of itself – genetic blueprints. Imagine the outer envelope is a balloon and the prized genetic blueprints inside are confetti. The confetti (genetic blueprints) normally stay safe inside the balloon (envelope).
You've heard that oil and water don't go together. Viruses surrounded by fat-based envelopes are safe to move around in water-based liquids (like blood) unharmed. The oil-like fat and water-like blood don't react together. Soap destroys the envelope because of soap's magical properties: Soap reacts with water and fat. The fat-loving parts of soap grab onto pieces of the fat-based envelope and pull them apart to join the water-loving parts of soap. Soap grabs more and more pieces of the fat-based envelope, exploding the coronavirus open.
So, soap pops the coronavirus' protective balloon. The exposed genetic blueprints/confetti come tumbling out. Then, the water washes the shattered remains of the coronavirus down the drain – genetic blueprints, fragments of envelope and all.
Help kids understand handwashing with a home experiment
Handwashing kills germs too tiny to see, so kids might not get why handwashing works. A memorable and visual way to show kids how soap protects them is better. Here's a quick and easy experiment you can do at home.
All you need is:
- Pepper
- Water
- Dish soap
Why 20 seconds?
The rubbing motion is the key to bursting the coronavirus balloon. That's where the 20 seconds come in. It takes a little time for the fat-loving parts of soap to latch on to the coronavirus envelope. A quick scrub just won't do it.
To obliterate the coronavirus, wash your hands for the full 20 seconds.
Want to know when 20 seconds is up? Sing the chorus of "Truth Hurts" by Lizzo or "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond.
Here's a sweet rewrite of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" for your little ones:
Twinkle, twinkle little star
Look how clean my two hands are
Around my wrists and between my thumbs
Lace my fingers, I'm almost done
Twinkle, twinkle little star
Look how clean my two hands are!
Is antibacterial soap better?
Nope, any kind of soap works great. COVID-19 is caused by a virus, not bacteria. But antibacterial soap isn't bad – if you prefer it, great!
Is soap better than hand sanitizer?
Soap and water work better than hand sanitizer. Hand sanitizer doesn't get rid of all types of germs. If you're out and about, hand sanitizer is a good substitute for soap and water. Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Check the label for ethanol, propanol or isopropanol – all different types of alcohol. An alcohol-free hand sanitizer with a different active ingredient (like benzalkonium chloride) won't kill the coronavirus.
