Dr Sanjay Gupta was saying soap was better for cleaning countertops than sanitizer

[Baclava]

On the CNN townhall last night.

Reason being we use dish soap to clean fats from baking pans, not alcohol based products, soap is better breaking down the lipids of the virus

Cost saver too.

Just a tip I saw

[badhair77]

1. Makes sense. We're told to wash our hands with soap and water. If that's not

available then use sanitizer. I use soap and water on my countertops.

[SheltieLover]

6. This!👆

Me too!

[LisaL]

12. Doesn't make sense to me whatsoever.

I don't believe soap and water will be better than cleaner with bleach. Not even for one second.

[thesquanderer]

41. Soap&water + FRICTION can destroy the virus within seconds. Bleach requires a longer soak.

Alcohol is better (faster) at killing the virus than bleach (and hydrogen peroxide may be as well, but still not as good as alcohol... though excellent for spraying into hard to reach places since it doesn't need to be wiped off). Bleach is great at some things (like mold), but it's not necessarily the best for a virus. Just like antibiotics don't kill viruses, you can't assume that what's best for one bad thing is also what's best for another.

https://www.sciencealert.com/here-s-the-expert-advice-on-which-cleaning-products-to-use-against-coronavirus

https://www.consumerreports.org/cleaning/common-household-products-that-can-destroy-novel-coronavirus/

OTOH, I saw on another site that a bleach soak of as little as one minute may be sufficient, as opposed to the 10+ minutes mentioned on the above sites. It's unfortunate that it's so hard to get consistent reliable information. But depending on the surface material and your access to it, it seems that an arsenal of soap, alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide should cover you well. I don't think there is any situation where bleach would be better than one (or more) of those three. Well, maybe in laundry.

[wcmagumba]

2. Not sure how effective it is but...

I've been using a spray bottle with dish washing soap and water mix to spray down delivered packages on my porch before bringing them inside...then I let them sit for a couple of days before opening.

[JI7]

5. If you are going to let them sit for a couple days then is it worth it to clean it before with soap

and water ?

wouldn't the couple days just sitting there take care of any potential virus by itself ?

[wcmagumba]

8. I've thought of that but it makes me feel better...

Small town here in Kansas and in the last week have had two virus related fatalities at the nursing home three blocks from my apt...

[JI7]

10. It wont hurt so I understand being extra careful

[TexasTowelie]

22. I've read that the virus can stay alive for up to 72 hours on surfaces.

It's a bit of a concern in my household since my brother is a respiratory therapist who works for a durable medical equipment provider so we are constantly receiving packages. He also cannot wait for up to 72 hours since he has to open the packages and scan the packing slips within 48 hours after delivery for inventory control.

[Dem2]

25. I hack my boxes open with a shingle splitter

Then I remove the contents and kick the box off my steps. The contents have been in the box for many days, so I tend to just put them on a counter for a while or wipe them down with 100% isopropanol and let them sit at least overnight.

[TreasonousBastard]

3. Makes sense-- detergents are made for cleaning, sanitizers are made to kill not clean.

[LisaL]

7. You have never seen Clorox or Lysol cleaners that also sanitize?

[TreasonousBastard]

13. Of course they do, but that's just combining the two substances. Cleaners alone clean and...

sanitizers alone sanitize.

[LisaL]

14. He is talking about cleaning countertops.

Now that you can't find Lysol and Clorox, soap and water is better?
I don't buy it.

[obamanut2012]

33. Soap and water has always been better for that

Always.

[ProfessorGAC]

35. They Do Both

First, the organic antimicrobial products have active ingredients that are surface active. The advantage of those is they have high efficacy on bacteria AND viruses, but the don't have the strong bleach odor.
Those with bleach also have substantial anionic & nonionic surfactants in the formula.
What's different is that the surfactants are lower foaming so it takes less to get the surface clear of residue.

[JI7]

4. Soap has always been the best . The purpose of Sanitizer was usually when Soap and Water are not

available.

and Soap is very cheap and easily available .

[obamanut2012]

34. Yup, and doctors have been saying this for months

[LisaL]

9. It kind of reminds of when they claimed masks are not effective.

Because they didn't want public to buy them all.
You can't buy Lysol or Clorox anymore so now soap and water is better?
Are hospitals now cleaned with water and soap? Somehow I don't think so.

[Dem2]

29. But soap IS better at breaking down fats, which the lipid coating of the virus is just that

a fat. I've been using soap and water almost exclusively even though I have 100% isopropanol, bleach and clorox wipes if I need. I do like to wipe metal knobs with the 100% isopropanol. Between the wiping action and the alcohol, it should kill the virus off while evaporating quickly, thus leaving the knob super dry and clean. People at work mix bleach and water and spray it on surfaces to disinfect. I like that method as the smell of bleach makes me think "clean".

[cwydro]

31. I have t had any problem buying Clorox or Lysol.

[Squinch]

32. They have been saying from the beginning that soap is best because

the virus has a lipid membrane. Better than alcohol.

This isnt new.

[FarPoint]

11. I like....

Both methods....alternate them....Just like healthcare workers....wash hands and can use hand sanitizer for say 5 times to sanitize hands that are not soiled ..between hand washing...

[JCMach1]

15. So tired of this sort of thing... Where's the study that says this Dr. Gupta?

The CDC currently says the following,

"Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in households and community settings."... https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cleaning-disinfection.html

[LisaL]

16. Exactly.

I feel it's some more nonsense, like claims masks are not effective because there is a huge shortage of them.

[EllieBC]

26. The whole mask thing was ridiculous.

They should have been honest and said, “look we need surgical and N95 masks for hospitals but if you all go for cloth masks that would help a bit too.”.

Instead we heard the lies that masks wouldn’t help.

[Baclava]

18. Holy godammed motherfuck! He was just answering a question if using soap was OK

It's a kitchen countertop, not a fucking operating room, hahahaha

[RicROC]

17. soap with ammonia

For many years I've made a mixture of ⅓ ammonia, ⅓ water and ⅓ dish soap for my sink and dishes cleaning.

While living in an apartment and roommate situation, where the landlord didn't believe in providing hot water (just tepid water), my roommates always shared each others colds even with washing dishes properly. After coming up with this soap concoction, we were all so much more healthy.

[blueinredohio]

28. My mother always put a big squirt of bleach in her dish water.

She said it keeps down germs from person to person. And I've always done it. Makes sense to me. And I've always cleaned my bathroom with a cleaner that has bleach in it.

[coti]

43. OK, but let's be clear that we DON'T EVER, EVER mix ammonia and bleach. nt

[ProfessorGAC]

36. Ammonia Is Not A Viricide

It kills a lot of bacteria (not all) because of the high pH. It doesn't have the ionic strength to effectively saponify the lipid layer on viruses at normal use temperatures. It will do that to a degree, but at 100C or higher. That gets to a dangerous use situation.
Just any product with anionic surfactant and a pH >7 is very effective.

[Laffy Kat]

19. Dawn is the best. It breaks down oil/fats.

I think it sounds very sensible.

[JoeOtterbein]

23. Thank you.

For the same reason that the best way to clean your hands is with soap and hot water. (for at least 20 seconds, and be sure to clean the spaces between your fingers and thumb then under your fingernails. But we won't get too into that because the COVID-19 Virus is destroyed before you get to the possible pathogenic bacterial who love those places to thrive on us)

Keep it up Americans!

[Demovictory9]

20. yep. People went alcohol crazy. alcohol is for when you dont have access to soap and water

[littlemissmartypants]

21. It's the soap AND the friction. It's a deadly combination for the coronavirus

because the friction with the soap, helps destroy the cell membrane of the virus.

[IronLionZion]

24. Stores have been out of disinfectant from hoarding. There is always soap.

Cleaning is different from sanitizing. If you have to pick one, clean. Otherwise, clean first, then disinfect.

And soaps are in all sorts of things. Everyone usually has plenty of dish detergent and stores have it in stock. Many green cleaning products have soaps since some of us have avoided chemicals for years. Soap is cheap and effective and everyone has easy access to it.

[Frances]

27. Thanks for the info

I am so sensitive to odors that when I cleaned everything with chlorox, I got serious congestion.
I switched to soap and water and am glad to learn that my soap will kill the virus
Another poster suggested putting soapy water in a spray bottle to clean packages and I will try that
Thanks

[Warpy]

30. He's right.

Soap screws up the phospholipid membrane on most bugs, but especially viruses. Here it needs to be chased with a vinegar mop up to remove the scum hard water leaves.

[ProfessorGAC]

38. See My Post Below Your Post

He's only partially correct. If he's promoting cleanliness, I'm all in. Technically, he's missing some important pieces.

[Warpy]

42. The only advantage to high alcohol snaitizer is that it's less messy

but you can't just squirt it on and wipe it off. It has to sit there for a good 4 minutes.

Likewise, the soap and water have to be scrubbed, friction is part of the process.

[ProfessorGAC]

46. Per CDC Guidelines

30 seconds for 100% kill with 70% ethanol or isopropanol.
And the surface chemistry indicates a reduction in surface tension that is highly effective lubricity.
Not sure frictional forces are that high.

[ProfessorGAC]

37. Not Quite

Certainly it's better than just water. That's tautological though. Cleaning is ALWAYS more efficacious with surfactants.
The "breaking down of fat" is overstated and overly simplified.
So, it's best to keep things clean, using a surfactant, but sanitizing cleaners are even better. They still have surfactants in the formula, but an active viricide as well.
Also, let's be clear.
There is a chemical difference between soap & detergent. Detergents are far better cleaners, have more efficacy on microbes, and are WAY more hard water tolerant.
Notable is that hospitals do not just use straight cleaning products in their operating rooms.
They use sanitizing cleaners with proven FDA & EPA claims.
So, Gupta is sort of correct, but not completely.

[Baclava]

39. He was talking dish detergent, like Dawn, and your countertop is not an OR, lol

Everybody is an amateur epidemiologist now, and we are all germaphobes!

and the WHO still recommends not wearing masks for daily use by the general population, so go figure

[ProfessorGAC]

40. I'm In My Lane

My knowledge of surface chemistry is undisputed.
I know way more about sutface chemistry than Dr Gupta, even though i respect him.
In the sciences, I'm no amateur.
I developed more than one antimicrobial molecule in my career.
So, step back a bit.

[HarlanPepper]

45. +100000

Lot of online “expert’n” up and down this thread. We get it. You aced high school chemistry.


(Not you)

[Horse with no Name]

44. I've been doing this from the start

I’ve also avoided antibacterial soaps because we don’t want to wash away the good bacteria.

[Kaleva]

47. People should know the difference between sanitize and disinfect. They are not the same.

I clean my counter-tops first before I disinfect them.

My routine is that I disinfect high touch items in the home and clean (sanitize) bathroom and kitchen counters daily. I'll disinfect the counter-tops every few days after I clean them first.

High touch items are door knobs, faucet handles, appliance handles and controls, kitchen drawer and cabinet handles, staircase rails, laptop keyboard, cordless phones, cell phones, remotes, toilet flush levers, car key FOB, and car steering wheel, shift lever, and door handles.