Multifactor Assessment of Non-Antimicrobial Soap Performance.

A non-antimicrobial soap was benchmarked against 2 reference soaps for microbial removal and skin compatibility, key factors in soap effectiveness and usage. The non-antimicrobial test soap removed more ( = .024) when applied to nonwetted hands and showed no difference in skin barrier function compared with the reference soaps ( = .

Comparative efficacy of commercially available alcohol-based hand rubs and World Health Organization-recommended hand rubs: formulation matters.

Background: Use of alcohol-based hand rubs (ABHRs) effectively reduces transmission of pathogenic microorganisms. However, the impact of alcohol concentration and format on product efficacy is currently being debated.

Methods: Two novel ABHR formulations containing 70% ethanol were evaluated according to American Society for Testing and Materials E1174 (Health Care Personnel Handwash [HCPHW]) and European Norm (EN) 1500 global standards.