Do Hand Made Soaps Work Like Any Other Soap Against The Corona Virus?
The coronavirus is named for the protein spikes embedded in its surface.Image adapted from: Jonatahan Corum and Ferris Jabr/The New York Times
The coronavirus is named for the protein spikes embedded in its surface.Image adapted from:
Soap molecules have two chemically distinct parts: a hydrophilic (water-loving) ‘head’ and a hydrophobic (water-hating) ‘tail’. The head helps the soap mix with water, while the tail can interact with other hydrophobic molecules like lipids;
Lipids are a class of biological molecules that includes oils and fats. Luckily for us, the coronavirus’s membrane is mostly made up of lipid molecules. They are held together by weak chemical interactions between individual molecules.
Scientists think that the soap’s tail can disrupt the weak interactions between lipid molecules in the membrane, tearing it apart. If the virus is broken up before it has safely sheltered in a host cell, it will no longer be able to do its infectious job—like a machine with its parts falling out.
Soap molecules then surround virus fragments with all tails facing inside. This cluster is called a micelle. The outward-facing hydrophilic heads allow the micelle to be washed down the drain with water.
The hydrophobic (water-hating) ‘tails’ of soap molecules can break interactions between lipid molecules in the coronavirus membrane. Image adapted from: Jonatahan Corum and Ferris Jabr/The New York Times
The same lipid molecules that enclose the virus in a membrane also cause it to cling to the oils on your skin. Using soap to wash your hands weakens these interactions, and virus particles are washed down the drain. Water alone won’t do.
This action of ridding your hands of virus particles is just as important as any role soap plays in interfering with the virus’s membrane.
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