If oil floats on water, why is it that when we wash our hands the oil doesn’t get displaced by the water but sticks to our hands instead?

Question

If oil floats on water, why is it that when we wash our hands the oil doesn’t get displaced by the water but sticks to our hands instead?

In: 20

Answer 1

Oil is sticky. It can’t “float” on the water unless it gets mixed in with the water, but it wants to stick to your hands instead. Soap sticks to both oil and water, though, which is why you should be using soap to wash oil off.