Hand Soap versus Hand Sanitizer

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Recommended: Laboratory reports of hand sanitizer

Parents and teachers encourage children to wash their hands with soap and water after using the bathroom, touching dirty objects, and sometimes before eating. Next to every tissue box there will most likely be a bottle of hand sanitizer that kills 99.9% of germs. Both hand soap and hand sanitizer kill off the germs and bacteria that can cause infections and diseases. Which one works best? The purpose of this experiment is to show which is more effective, hand soap or hand sanitizer (Bjornsson). To prove this, Bjornsson writes up a lab using the growth of bread mold to help identify the results of both products (Bjornsson). I believe that hand soap works better than hand sanitizers because doctors remind us that we should wash our hands especially during flu season to keep us healthy. Therefore, the hypothesis for this lab is that the hand soap will be the better alternative and will slow down the growth of bread mold more than the hand sanitizer in this experiment.
Some background research had to be done before starting the experiment to prevent any faults in the lab. There are a few types of bread mold Aijith had described that could possibly grow during the experiment: Rhizopus, which can be gray or black, Penicillium, which varies between gray, green and white, Aperaillius, which is green-blue to brown and Fusarium, which is brownish or reddish in color (Ajith). All of these bread molds grow in different environments so the experiment may grow certain types depending on the temperature and humidity the bread is put in (Ajith). Also, according to Kemp, Paul, and Segal, the type of bread used in the experiment can affect the growth of bread mold because preservatives can slow down the growth of bread mold (Kemp, Paul and Segal)....

... middle of paper ...

...n, it is washed off away from our hands. On the bread mold, some of the bacteria was still left inside. This lab has allowed me to understand the way bread mold is prevented and the pros and cons of washing hands with soap and water, and hand sanitizer.

Works Cited

1. Ajith, Auston. Science Projects. Auston Ajith, 2013. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.
2. Ajith, Auston. Chart. Science Project N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Apr. 2014.
3. Bjornsson, Erin. education.com. Educuation.com Inc,, 2014. Web. 10 Mar. 2014.
4. Kemp, Gina, Paul, Maya W., and Segal, Robert. "Organic Foods."
Understanding Organic Food Labels, Benefits, and Claims. Helpguide.org, Dec. 2013. Web. 18 Apr. 2014.
5. “Mold.” HowStuffWorks. HowStuffWorks.com, 15 Oct. 2008. Web. 20 Apr.
2014.
6. "The Pros and Cons of Antibacterial Soaps and Sprays."
Foreverhealthandwellness.com. N.p., 19 Oct. 2013. Web. 20 Apr. 2014.

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