Re: innkeeping: left over soap

[tygger <tygger@stsi.net>]

At 01:11 PM 3/1/98 -0600, Acorn cott wrote:
>
>Frankly I am a little tired of the soap subject, and have tried to keep my
>mouth shut, but can't,
>
>The entire logic of this subject defies me.  The message that bar soap is 
>a
>carrier for ecoli bacteria means that I have been contaminating myself and
>other members of my family for years by using the same bar of soap more 
>than
>once,. 

I called a good friend of mine in the industrial hygiene/toxicology field,
and she has said the following:

First of all, MOST e.coli will not survive to be passed on, however, some
fungi, bacteria, etc. CAN survive the soap.  I guess the question becomes
this:  would you like to wash your face and body parts with something that
someone else just washed THEIR body parts with?? It is one thing when you
know that person, but another when they are strangers.  She equated it to
sharing toothbrushes; the fact is that most dental diseases wont survive
the toothpastes, however, dental caries is the most common disease known.
Who wants the risk?

Antibacterial soaps will, of course, diminish the risks, however, these
antibacterial formulas have been shown in laboratory studies to increase
the occurrence of highly resistant strains of bacteria in the local area.

If soap is so dangerous why do we use it in the first place?  I was
>always taught that soap was a natural germ killer, That is why it is  
>used in
>surgical rooms, and for cleaning highly contamininated places.

1) no one said soap was dangerous. That is YOUR assertion, and certainly
not a logical conclusion based on the question that was raised.

2) While you are touting the idea that hospitals are so safe and sanitary,
consider the fact that hospitals are the #1 place to get infected with a
wide variety of staph bacteria.  Incidentally, staph  IS one type of
bacteria that CAN survive soap.  

>
>If we are jumping on the band wagon to send our little bars of soap to 
>help
>the poor, sick, and impoverished people of Mexico, why would we take the 
>risk
>of making them more sick with ecoli? 

Because BETTER sanitary conditions beats having NO sanitary conditions, 
and
yes, soap will help eliminate many of the more fragile bacteria and fungi.
Fortunately for us humans, the most of the deadlier strains of bacteria 
are
more fragile in the airborne environment.

Another thing my friend said: It is important to remember that most
bacteria and fungi are localized.  Therefore, you might not run risk of an
adverse reaction to the "stuff" that your system is acclimated to, 
however,
people coming from other regions might have a bad reaction.  It is just a
good idea to cut the risk, to reduce liability if nothing else.  To bring
up Mexico again; Americans don't get sick from the water in Mexico because
it is necessarily diseased; we get sick because we don't have the same
flora in our systems to handle the flora in the water in that country.
Likewise, foreigners often get ill in our country, though rarely for
unsanitary reasons (except when they eat at fast food restaurants!).

I would suggest that you take a microbiology course for the answer to 
this.
Incidentally, most cities and counties have public health courses for
restaurant and hotel management that covers these issues.

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