Hand washing soap is an effective way to kill germs, provided that you wash your hands thoroughly when using it. It should be used in catering, food preparation and other high-risk environments to prevent or reduce the risk of infection and cross contamination.
The best way to be sure if a hand soap does effectively kill germs is to look for products marked ‘anti-bacterial’. These products provide a high level of protection against bacteria, helping to keep hygiene standards high while also being kind to the skin. Some hand soaps will even claim to kill up to 99.9% of bacteria.
To prevent the spread of a number of different types of bacteria, from E.coli to those that cause infectious illnesses, it is recommended to wash your hands thoroughly with anti-bacterial handwash for a minimum of 30 seconds.