Antibacterial wipes let bugs grow back in 20 minutes

Germ-busting wipes only eradicate bacteria from kitchen surfaces for 20 minutes and using them to keep bacteria at bay is “an absolutely redundant” exercise, a scientist has said.

Dr Clare Lanyon, a biomedical scientist from Northumbria University in Newcastle upon Tyne, said consumers may be wasting money on antibacterial wipes and sprays because common germs, which can replicate themselves in just 20 minutes, quickly recolonise to their original mass, even if just a single cell is left over.

She said bars of soap were more effective at destroying bacteria because they tended to contain ingredients that broke down bacteria cell walls.

Dr Lanyon was speaking to The Daily Telegraph after conducting an experi- ment for Trust Me, I’m A Doctor, the BBC programme, which found “dramatic growth” of microbes within 12 hours of cleaning a regular kitchen surface with wipes. She said it was always important to clean up thoroughly after handling raw meat to minimise the risk of harmful “foreign organisms” spreading, but that this was most effectively done by scrubbing with soap.

However, she said keeping kitchen work surfaces germ free was impossible because germs are found throughout the home and rapidly repopulate.

“Some bacteria can divide every 20 minutes, so it doesn’t take long for one cell to become one million cells – in fact it would only take around 6.6 hours,” Dr Lanyon said. “The point of the show is that you don’t need to be so fastidious in cleaning your house from top to bottom because you can’t actually remove all bacteria, and nor would we want to – exposing ourselves to everyday pathogens is good in keeping the immune system healthy and strong.

“The research shows that you can quite quickly re-establish bacteria that we have in our homes anyway. You’re never going to get your home sterile and clean – no way – and there are better things to be doing with your time.

She added: “Spend your time cleaning up after food that’s known to be high risk. But on a Sunday, if your kitchen is clean, don’t be cracking out the antibacterials and wiping it down because it’s an absolutely redundant exercise – the minute you walk around the kitchen you’re shedding bacteria and fungi...and it’s just recolonising.”

“Personally I don’t waste my time purchasing antibacterial products for the home...our research found that a lot of antibacterial cleaning products were not as effective as good old fashioned soap and water.”

6.6 hours The length of time, Dr Lanyon estimates, for a single bacteria cell that is left after cleaning to recolonise into a million cells