ELI5- what happens to the 1% of germs not killed by hand sanitizer?
In: Biology
There’s no guarantee that a small number of germs will survive every application of sanitizer. They put as many 9s on the package as they can legally justify based on some tests they’ve conducted, and they’ll never say 100% in case someone finds one surviving germ one day.
If a germ survives by luck, for example you didn’t hit every area or leave it on long enough, it keeps doing its thing.
If it survives by biology, for example it’s slightly more resistant to whatever chemical you applied, maybe the next generation will have some germs that are slightly more resistant than that, and you’re well on the way to breeding a germ that can is resistant to the treatment.
Latest Answers