Introduction
Antibacterial products like soap, lotion, sanitizer, deodorant, and even socks are everywhere. Today's war on germs seems more terrifying than the war on terrorism. With thousands of products designed to combat the ever-invading bacterial or viral hoard who's to say whether we really are gaining a stronghold against infectious disease with our multitude of products. Most consumers today are uninformed — buying needless antibacterial products simply because they assume antibacterial soap must be better than regular old soap. Informed consumers would argue that the overuse of antibacterial products will give rise to drug-resistant bacteria. According to the Center for Disease Control, there is no need to purchase such items to protect yourself or your home from the microscopic army of bacteria and viruses. In fact, good old fashioned hot water and soap will do just fine to impede the spread of bacteria and viruses. 1 In fact, there might be risks with over-protection: a Time Magazine article discusses a possible link between childhood allergies and the overexposure to triclosan, a chemical found in most antibacterial products. 2
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