# Does soap destroy viruses other than 2019-nCOV?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-soap-destroy-viruses-other-than-2019-ncov/852717>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 28, 2020, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-soap-destroy-viruses-other-than-2019-ncov/852717 "2020-04-28T11:39:59Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 11:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-soap-destroy-viruses-other-than-2019-ncov/852717/1 "2020-04-28T11:39:59Z")

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For many years my understanding of soap’s role in handwashing was that it just physically removed the virus particles from your hands. With regard to 2019-nCOV, authorities have been reporting that soap also chemically attacks/destroys these virus particles.

Is that also the case for other viruses? Does soap destroy flu/cold viruses, in addition to physically removing them from your skin?

Are there viruses that soap _doesn’t_ chemically attack?

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**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\
**Post date:** [April 28, 2020, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/does-soap-destroy-viruses-other-than-2019-ncov/852717/2 "2020-04-28T11:59:41Z")

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[The short story](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/mar/12/science-soap-kills-coronavirus-alcohol-based-disinfectants): because the virus is a self-assembled nanoparticle in which the weakest link is the lipid (fatty) bilayer.