"Our bodies are designed to handle a certain number of bacteria," she said. Complete sterilization is unnecessary, especially in homes, which are much less contaminated than a hospital ICU.
"We use way too many antibacterial agents," Duberg said, adding that the overuse of products like wipes, soaps and cleansers that contain these substances can lead bacteria to become resistant to our methods of extermination.
"I personally believe there isn't anything that good, hot soapy water can't clean," she said.
Dr. William Schaffner, chair of the department of preventive medicine at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, agreed that people should be careful to use antibacterial wipes appropriately to avoid spreading bacteria around their homes.
His motto for disinfectant wipes: "use it and lose it," especially on highly contaminated surfaces in the bathroom and kitchen. For example, don't use the same wipe to clean both the toilet and the sink. Schaffner called this type of reuse a "false economy," trading the price of wipes for the spread of germs.
But Schaffner added that in hospitals, surfaces are not the primary source of bacteria that infect patients. Other patients and health care workers are the ones who transmit the most germs. "It is hands that are the great transfer vehicle for bacteria from patient to patient," he said.
So the rising use of antibacterial wipes shouldn't overshadow the most important rule of hygiene: Wash your hands.
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