Those who know me personally know my suspicion that antibacterial soaps are the work of the devil himself.
In a nutshell: a) they don't work because you have to leave it on your skin for 2 minutes for it to work. Ever done that? b) they kill off the good bacteria that defend your body against truly harmful ones and c) they promote resistance to bactericidal agents over time.
Anyhoo, I'm going to add this to my list of bad things about antibacterial soaps: triclosan, the antibacterial chemical used in many consumer products, may interfere with the body's endocrine system.
The FDA and the Environmental Protection Agency say they are taking a fresh look at triclosan, which is so ubiquitous that is found in the urine of 75 percent of the population, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The reassessment is the latest signal that the Obama administration is willing to reevaluate the possible health impacts of chemicals that have been in widespread use.
In a letter to a congressman that was obtained by The Washington Post, the FDA said that recent scientific studies raise questions about whether triclosan disrupts the body's endocrine system and whether it helps to create bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics. An advisory panel to the FDA said in 2005 that there was no evidence the antibacterial soaps work better than regular soap and water.
Second, alcohol-based hand sanitizers DO work if you leave them on your hands for 20-30 seconds, which isn't really such a horrible amount of time if you are about to eat and aren't near a sink to wash your hands.
Also, I heard about some neat technology that kills microbes on hands with some sort of harmless radiation. Only problem there would be the killing of the beneficial bacteria, but in a hospital setting that might be necessary. Also, no possibility of resistance.
Soap and water for your hands and face, disinfectants for everything else. Simple.
And as far as the dishwashing sponges, scrubbies- bleach them, microwave them... or, here's a thought- replace them.