IndexIntroductionMaterials and MethodResultsConclusionWork CitedThis study focused on comparing the ability of the same active ingredient, in separate hand soaps, to kill bacteria through washing of the hands. The two soap products tested were Dial and SpaSoap, a brand name soap and a less expensive brand soap. The effectiveness of the two hand soaps was examined on a universal growth medium to clearly compare the results. Samples were collected using a swab culture to collect bacteria on the palms of the hands before washing with antibacterial soap for two minutes. This step was repeated before and after hand washing, for a total of 40 samples. Each soap had the same active ingredient, benzalkonium chloride, at the same concentration of 0.13%. The results showed that each antibacterial soap was effective in killing a significant amount of bacteria after hand washing. This research paper will also go in-depth, discussing the pros and cons present in integrating the use of antibacterial soap. However, the main purpose was to establish whether there was a difference in effectiveness due to the cost of the product. I hypothesize that if both hand washes contained the same amount of the antibacterial ingredient, benzalkonium chloride, both hand soaps would be equally effective at killing bacteria. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Introduction Bacteria can be found everywhere, there is no way to avoid coming into contact with bacteria on a daily basis. Throughout body-to-body contact, the things we touch after washing our hands, and general hygiene around us, there is almost no way to avoid these microscopic organisms. A study published by Cambridge University Press found that approximately 28% of the sample population had fecal-derived bacteria on their hands. Many studies have been conducted on the effectiveness of aseptic techniques among healthcare workers who pass from one patient to another, it has been found that only about 30% of the time these doctors and nurses actually wash their hands during the time they interact with the patients. Hand washing is considered the first line of defense in fighting acquired infections, which means that washing your hands should be a habit and you should want to use the most effective product to kill the most bacteria. However, this is a double-sided sword. Popular products containing harsh chemicals such as Triclosan, which have been shown to inhibit the growth of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, may influence the emergence of new drug-resistant bacteria. As stated in “Consumer Antibacterial Soaps: Effective or Simply Risky?” “The mechanisms of resistance are similar to those that produce antibiotic resistance and include mutations at the drug target site, chromosome-mediated drug efflux, and overexpression of the target protein. Acquired bacterial resistance mechanisms can lead to increased MICs to antibiotics and triclosan." There are also significant environmental risks to consider. Materials and Methods To produce accurate results, all experiments conducted require appropriate materials and techniques. The experiment was conducted with four different people washing their hands five different times. Two of the subjects used the expensive soap (Dial) and the other two subjects used the cheapest soap (SpaSoap). The result is ten prewash samples per. 281-283