Today’s Video of the Day from the American Chemical Society investigates whether washing your hands with soap is an effective way to kill the coronavirus.

Dr. Palli Thordarson is a professor of Chemistry at the University of New South Wales. He explains that soap contains amphiphilic substances that are capable of suspending the virus so that it can be removed. 

According to Dr. Thordarson, hand soap completely destabilizes the non-covalent interactions that hold viruses together, while water alone is not nearly as effective. 

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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

Video Credit: American Chemical Society