Antibacterial soaps remove 97 percent of bacteria on hands, while regular soaps remove 95 percent. It's the practice, not the product, that makes the big difference. Hand washing frequency and method are key factors. Hand washing is important after touching communal objects like pay phones, handrails and doorknobs in public places. Of course, washing hands before and after preparing food and after using the restroom is essential.
Hand washing removes transient microorganisms that hitchhike on the skin.
Regular soaps don't kill the germs, but they loosen them from the skin and increase water's ability to wash them down the drain. Effective hand washing behavior is the most powerful strategy in disease prevention. The Federal Trade Commission has agreed to the formation of the new agrochemicals company Syngenta. It is a merger of the agrochemicals and seeds businesses of AstraZeneca and Novartis. The new company will begin operations around Nov. 13, 2000.