Antimicrobial Soaps Match Plain Soap, May Fuel 1 in 6 Drug-Resistant Infections

1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 16

Decades of studies found antimicrobial soaps do not reduce household illness better than plain soap and water, even though they are marketed to kill 99.9% of germs.
A 2007 review of 27 studies found triclosan was no more effective than plain soap, while lab evidence showed triclosan-resistant bacteria can also become more resistant to antibiotics.
The FDA banned 19 antiseptic wash ingredients in 2016, including triclosan, but left benzalkonium chloride, benzethonium chloride and chloroxylenol in extended regulatory deferrals that have stretched for a decade.
WHO says 1 in 6 common bacterial infections now resist standard antibiotics—up 40% from 2018 to 2023—and resistant infections caused about 1 million deaths a year from 1990 to 2021.
Public health guidance still favors plain soap and water for routine cleaning, reserving EPA-registered disinfectants or diluted bleach for high-risk contamination such as bodily fluids, raw meat or stomach bugs.