Banning the Anti-Bac

The FDA ruled that beginning September 2017, soaps and sanitizers will no longer be able to contain the cleansing agent, Triclosan. Triclosan was removed because it has a negative impact on health and the environment, and contributes to antibiotic resistance. Antibiotic resistance has been a concern for decades, but concern increased when an antibiotic-resistant superbug popped up in Pennsylvania early this year.

Many businesses often provide hand sanitizers in high traffic areas for both employees and customers. Hand sanitizers have become popular because they are a quick way to clean up when users do not have access to soap and water, or do not have the time to step away and wash their hands in between customers. Research has found that although these products are intended to kill bad bacteria, they often attract bacteria because their ingredients leave a sticky film on hands that traps germs on the skin. It is recommended that individuals using hand sanitizers wash their hands with soap and water after every four or five times of sanitizer use. Sanitizers kill bad bacteria but also wipe out good bacteria on the skin that are part of the body’s natural defense against germs.

Instead of using hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps, the CDC recommends using plain soap and water, scrubbing hands for twenty seconds (time yourself by singing two rounds of Happy Birthday to You), and using a clean towel to dry hands. Washing hands significantly reduces the spread of germs in the workplace by bacteria that cause illnesses like colds, flu, and norovirus.

Other ways to reduce the spread of germs through your business and protect your health is to hire a professional janitorial cleaning service to clean your business. Professional cleaning companies will disinfect and sanitize high traffic areas and target places where germs live and thrive.