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Posted by on Oct 21, 2015 in TellMeWhy |

How Does Soap Make You Clean?

How Does Soap Make You Clean?

How Does Soap Make You Clean? Soap is an excellent cleanser because of its ability to act as an emulsifying agent. An emulsifier is capable of dispersing one liquid into another immiscible liquid.

This means that while oil which attracts dirt doesn’t naturally mix with water, soap can suspend oil or dirt in such a way that it can be removed.

Water alone may lift some of the dirt from your skin, but it simply rolls off of grease. The cleansing action of soap is due to its ability to penetrate the oil and grease particles of dirt.

By getting between these particles, soap enables water to loosen the dirt and wash it away. Soap also increases the wetting ability of water, allowing it to penetrate the hollows of your skin more thoroughly, and loosen the dirt.

The soap then forms a thin film around the tiny dirt particles and suspends them in the water until they are rinsed away.

Washing hands or bathing with soap is one of the most important ways to prevent the spread of germs, especially before or after activities like going to the bathroom, eating, playing outside, touching pets, and sneezing or coughing.

Content for this question contributed by Kevin Selva, resident of Cleveland, Cuyahoga County, Ohio, USA