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[00:00:00.00] (futuristic instrumental music) [00:00:06.07] - Hi, I'm Julie from the Exploratorium. [00:00:09.00] You've probably heard that washing your hands [00:00:11.06] with soap and water is the most effective way [00:00:14.04] of preventing the spread of coronavirus. [00:00:16.09] Now the question is, [00:00:17.07] why is soap so helpful? [00:00:19.05] And the answer is due to the biology [00:00:22.01] and the structure of the virus itself. [00:00:24.07] Now many viruses, including coronaviruses [00:00:27.03] are surrounded by a membrane. [00:00:29.03] And this membrane is exactly the same [00:00:31.03] as the one that surrounds our own cells. [00:00:34.01] The membrane is made of molecules [00:00:35.08] that have a really special property. [00:00:37.05] They have one side that I've represented in blue here, [00:00:40.06] that likes water, it's a water-loving end, [00:00:43.01] and then their other half of them dislikes water, [00:00:46.05] it's a water-hating end. [00:00:47.05] It likes fats a little bit more. [00:00:49.04] Now these molecules assemble together [00:00:52.08] so that they have actually two layers of them. [00:00:57.01] One side lines up so the water's facing on this end, [00:00:59.08] and the other side lines up [00:01:01.00] so the water's facing on that. [00:01:02.06] And basically, a ribbon of these surrounds the virus. [00:01:06.06] Now the trick to inactivating this virus [00:01:09.02] is to disrupt the membrane. [00:01:11.07] Soap molecules have very similar properties. [00:01:14.07] They have one side that likes water, [00:01:16.06] and an other side that's attracted to fat. [00:01:19.02] That's why they're really helpful [00:01:20.03] when you're washing your greasy dishes. [00:01:22.03] If you can get a soap molecule [00:01:24.03] into the virus membrane, [00:01:25.09] it'll disrupt the structure of the membrane, [00:01:28.03] and that inactivates the virus. [00:01:30.08] The other thing that soap is handy for, [00:01:32.05] is it can help us investigate the behavior of membranes. [00:01:35.09] I have a tray of soapy water here, [00:01:38.06] and a string that I've threaded through two straws. [00:01:42.01] If you wanna try this at home, [00:01:43.05] we have instructions and a recipe for it on our website. [00:01:46.07] You can see that when I pull up the straws, [00:01:49.09] that a film forms. [00:01:51.05] This is a soap film. [00:01:53.02] And this membrane has the same behavior [00:01:55.09] as the membrane around the virus. [00:01:58.01] If I touch it with my dry hand, [00:02:00.03] you'll see that it pops. [00:02:03.04] And in fact, when the coronavirus is on a surface, [00:02:06.09] all it needs to do is eventually dry out, [00:02:09.04] and it will be inactivated. [00:02:11.05] However, if I now wet my finger, [00:02:16.02] you'll see that my wet finger [00:02:19.01] does not disrupt the membrane. [00:02:21.08] You've probably heard that the virus [00:02:23.04] travels in respiratory droplets. [00:02:25.06] It needs these droplets of water [00:02:27.06] to keep its membranes intact. [00:02:30.06] Another thing you've probably heard [00:02:32.02] is that if you don't have soap and water available, [00:02:35.02] hand sanitizers that have 60% or more alcohol, [00:02:38.03] are also effective in inactivating the virus. [00:02:41.06] I have some 70% rubbing alcohol here, [00:02:44.06] and this time I'm gonna pull up my membrane, [00:02:47.03] and I have my finger covered in the alcohol. [00:02:50.09] And the moment I touch the membrane, it pops. [00:02:54.00] And so alcohol is another way to inactivate the virus. [00:02:58.05] Now alcohol tends to evaporate, [00:03:00.03] and maybe that happens before you've gotten it [00:03:02.02] into all the crevices of your hands, [00:03:04.03] so soap and water is really the best choice. [00:03:07.06] So keep washing your hands, [00:03:09.02] and celebrate our hero: the soap molecule. [00:03:12.05] (futuristic instrumental music) [00:03:16.05]

Education Programs

How Does Soap Inactivate Coronaviruses?

Published:   March 20, 2020
Total Running Time:   00:03:16

Coronaviruses are surrounded by the same type of membrane that surrounds human cells. Learn how disrupting this membrane with soap or alcohol inactivates the virus. Find out more about the science of COVID-19 with the Exploratorium Learning Toolbox.

Related Science Snack: Cellular Soap Opera

 

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