Soapy Solutions continued

Things to Think About:

1. What difference does soap make?
As the experiment showed, washing with water alone doesn't do as good a job as washing with soap. In the same way the soap lifts off the cinnamon so it can be rinsed away, soap grabs microbes so they're flushed away by the water. You just can't see it happen as easily with invisible microbes as you can with cinnamon.

2. What difference does the water temperature make?
Warm water makes it easier for the soap to lift off the cinnamon "bacteria." It does not kill the bacteria, but makes it easier for the germs to be washed away with the vigorous rubbing of hands and fingers. Plain soap works fine. You don't need to use anti-bacterial soap.

3. You can spread germs to anyone or anything in your home that you touch. You can also get germs from objects other people have touched. If you and others in your family wash your hands often, you can help reduce the chances of each other getting sick.

4. Why does it matter anyway? What diseases could be spread by not adequately washing hands? There are many germs that can be spread or picked up. Cold viruses can be spread by touching people or objects. The flu virus is often spread by contact with infected people. Salmonella, a bacterium that causes severe upset stomach, can be picked up from surfaces where raw foods--particularly meats--have been sitting. That's why hand washing not only protects you from illness, but also helps protect all those people you come into contact with.