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How Soap Works (An Animation)

School’s in session­­! Today's #SOAP101 lesson: how does soap keep you clean, and more specifically, how does it destroy and dislodge microbes, including coronavirus?

1. Soap molecules have a water-loving head and a water-hating (and oil/fat loving) tail⁠.
2. Pathogens—including coronavirus, Ebola, hepatitis B and C, and more bacteria than one can count that cause respiratory and intestinal illnesses—have a membrane of oil lipid molecules⁠.
3. Soap’s water-hating, oil-loving tails poke their way into this membrane and break it apart⁠.
4. Soap traps the virus (and other dirty, germy particles) in a little bubble called a micelle. Soap molecules’ tails surround the particles, creating a kind of mini jail cell that washes away when you rinse with water down the drain! ⁠

Have questions? Send us a message at hello@soapplybox.com! Keep up the good work—we love you!

READ MORE ABOUT HANDWASHING:

> The difference between detergent 'soaps' and true soaps [Read article]
> The conscious consumer's guide to understanding marketing terms [Read article]
> The most frequently missed areas when washing your hands [Read article]

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