There's no evidence OTC antibacterial soaps prevent disease more than washing with plain soap and water. Some antibacterial drugs can do more harm than good.
My possibly unpopular opinion is that just using water is probably more than sufficient unless you’ve been handling something that has visibly stained your hands. Some level of “dirt” on your hands is probably better for your immune system than perfectly clean ones. I’ve never been much of a hand washer myself. I use my hands a lot, I touch everything, I don’t wear gloves at work and I bite my nails. Yesterday I pulled carrots from the ground and rubbed worst of the soil away onto grass and ate them like that. I can’t help but feel that behavior like this is to thank for the fact that I’m never sick and I have zero allergies or food intolerances.
Water won’t prevent the spread of disease. Things like flu viruses, C diff, jock itch, antibiotic resistant bacteria, etc will spread if you don’t use soap.
If you’re healthy and just staying at home, sure it doesn’t hurt to be eating some dirt bacteria. But you should use soap after being in public places, at hospitals, after pooping, or after touching genitals or feet.
And that’s what we call survivorship bias. Sure you’ll be ticking along fine until some Legionella or Botulism just kills you before anyone knows it, other than maybe the doctor if you see one on time and the coroner. Then the next you online just assumes no need to wash things with soap because you just blipped out silently from existence.
There’s a reason billions of humans didn’t populate the earth until modern sanitation and understanding of disease.
Now sure some dirt every now and then from gardening (you still breathe some in after all) will do you good, keep your immune system busy. You’re right on that. But eating carrots straight from the ground is just rolling an unnecessary gamble you don’t need. You’re not wrong in that too much sanitation isn’t good either - but you do misunderstand a bit what that means. You don’t have to wear gloves working the ground - unless you have open cuts. You don’t have to soap up your carrots - but you do gotta give em a good rinse. Just dial it back a bit and you’ll make it unlikely to end up in a miserable time later in life, while still getting those benefits. A castle is strong, but just takes one thing to sneak in to bring it down from the inside - best not invite too many invaders once it’s already been built
Like you, I stick all kinds of shit in my mouth, got a real oral fixation. OTOH, I wash my hands frequently with homemade soap. And also like you, I rarely get sick.
If you don’t give your immune system a workout, it seems to taper off.
My possibly unpopular opinion is that just using water is probably more than sufficient unless you’ve been handling something that has visibly stained your hands. Some level of “dirt” on your hands is probably better for your immune system than perfectly clean ones. I’ve never been much of a hand washer myself. I use my hands a lot, I touch everything, I don’t wear gloves at work and I bite my nails. Yesterday I pulled carrots from the ground and rubbed worst of the soil away onto grass and ate them like that. I can’t help but feel that behavior like this is to thank for the fact that I’m never sick and I have zero allergies or food intolerances.
Water won’t prevent the spread of disease. Things like flu viruses, C diff, jock itch, antibiotic resistant bacteria, etc will spread if you don’t use soap.
If you’re healthy and just staying at home, sure it doesn’t hurt to be eating some dirt bacteria. But you should use soap after being in public places, at hospitals, after pooping, or after touching genitals or feet.
And that’s what we call survivorship bias. Sure you’ll be ticking along fine until some Legionella or Botulism just kills you before anyone knows it, other than maybe the doctor if you see one on time and the coroner. Then the next you online just assumes no need to wash things with soap because you just blipped out silently from existence.
There’s a reason billions of humans didn’t populate the earth until modern sanitation and understanding of disease.
Now sure some dirt every now and then from gardening (you still breathe some in after all) will do you good, keep your immune system busy. You’re right on that. But eating carrots straight from the ground is just rolling an unnecessary gamble you don’t need. You’re not wrong in that too much sanitation isn’t good either - but you do misunderstand a bit what that means. You don’t have to wear gloves working the ground - unless you have open cuts. You don’t have to soap up your carrots - but you do gotta give em a good rinse. Just dial it back a bit and you’ll make it unlikely to end up in a miserable time later in life, while still getting those benefits. A castle is strong, but just takes one thing to sneak in to bring it down from the inside - best not invite too many invaders once it’s already been built
Well, let’s agree to respect each other’s opinion, no matter how wrong your’s might be.
Like you, I stick all kinds of shit in my mouth, got a real oral fixation. OTOH, I wash my hands frequently with homemade soap. And also like you, I rarely get sick.
If you don’t give your immune system a workout, it seems to taper off.