Why do we “massage” soap into our hands?

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I get how soap works by breaking down outer layers of cells, especially in viruses and bacteria, which is how it protects us (correct me if I’m wrong). My question is why does everyone, including surgeons scrubbing in for surgery, massage the soap around their hands and arms? Couldn’t we just apply the soap, wait 20 seconds, then rinse it off? Maybe it’s a surface area thing, making sure soap is applied everywhere?

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Anonymous 0 Comments

Handwashing is primarily a mechanical process (your hands physically moving) rather than a chemical process. Soap is just an aid.

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