4 ms·
Soap isn't what gets things clean, anyway, water does. Soap merely lowers water surface tension, and making water molecules stick together less helps water clea
by Maursault 4y ago
Soap isn't what gets things clean, anyway, water does. Soap merely lowers water surface tension, and making water molecules stick together less helps water clean more easily.
- wrp 4y agoTo add a data point here...I've read studies on the effectiveness of handwashing for sterilization. Apparently it's simply the abrasion under water that removes pathogens from the skin. Studies found no difference in effectiveness of just water versus water+soap.
- nextaccountic 4y agoThat's interesting. But soap also helps in surrounding fats with a water-soluble membrane, right?
- Maursault 4y agoI'm not sure why fats would be difficult to wash off, and soaps are made from fats through saponification.[1] [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saponification https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saponification
- metalliqaz 4y agoFats and oils are hydrophobic.
- v8xi 4y agothe process of saponification adds a hydrophilic/water-soluble end to a hydrophobic molecule (fat - which is essentially a long hydrocarbon chain). The fatty end embeds itself in fats/oils which then form what are called micelles with the fatty tail and dissolved greasy molecules on the inside and the water-soluble bit on the outside. Thus it essentially packages up all the grime in little balls that act as if they are dissolved in water and can thus be washed down the drain.