How does hand soap or body wash make things sanitary?

Question

I understand how soap works at a high level, with hydrocarbon chains latching onto oils/fats, but how does it remove or kill germs?

In: 0

Answer 1

1. The germs have cell membranes made out of fats, and because soap dissolves fat it obliterates the cell membranes of the germs like popping a balloon 🎈

2. Human skin cells also have cell membranes made out of fats, and so soap also dissolves the top-most layer of dead skin cells on our skin, and washes it away along with whatever microbes were clinging onto the surface of the skin.