Chemistry of Soap - How It Destroys Bacteria and Viruses

Soap has been used for millennia, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that scientists understood how it kills germs. The secret lies in soap’s chemical structure.

Soap molecules have a hydrophobic tail that avoids water and a hydrophilic head that bonds with water. This gives soap the ability to suspend grease in water.

When you lather soap, the hydrophobic tails wedge into the membranes of bacteria and viruses, disrupting their lipid structures. This destroys the pathogens.

In 1865, chemist A. Braconnot showed soap could dissolve bacterial membranes. In the 1890s, more was learned about bacteria anatomy.

So while first used as a cleaning agent, soap turned out to be a potent disinfectant. Hand washing with soap is still one of the best defenses against infectious diseases.

The hydrophilic heads of soap interact with water molecules, allowing it to wash away grease and dirt in micelles.

When you wash with soap and water, you're using chemical reactions perfected over thousands of years to destroy microbes.

So the next time you lather up, remember the powerful chemistry working beneath the bubbles to remove germs and grime.