• realaether@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Isn’t soap technically self-dirtying since it’s supposed to get dirt to cling to it rather than your skin?

      • Riskable@programming.dev
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        1 year ago

        No. The point of soap is to reduce the surface tension of water so that grime, oils, and bacteria can’t stick around.

        This is why the CDC recommends wetting before applying soap… Because the moment the soap propagates through the water (which happens extremely fast) is the moment microorganisms lose their grip. Applying (wet) soap beforehand reduces its efficacy.

        Anything unsanitary stuck to or in the soap isn’t going to be able to stick around once rinsing takes place.

        Also remember The Law of Conservation of Filth: For something to become clean something else must become dirty. The water is what’s getting “dirty” because of the soap.