# Germ Killer 99.99% **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 26, 2001, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germ-killer-99-99/59477 "2001-03-26T02:27:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![insider](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@insider](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/insider)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germ-killer-99-99/59477/1 "2001-03-26T02:27:11Z")
What germs are not killed by these sprays that kill 99.99% of all germs? Why is it not 100%? ---
**Author:** ![PlanMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/2bfe46/32.png) [@PlanMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PlanMan)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germ-killer-99-99/59477/2 "2001-03-26T02:35:21Z")
The really strong ones. The ones that are going to take over one day. The ones Steven King warned you about (or he should have). That’s what’s the problem with all the “antibacterial” soaps and stuff, and over use of antibiotics, we are just breeding stronger and stronger germs. As the resistant 0.01% survive and breed they pass on 100% of their strong genetics to the next generation. “Germs” (bacteria) replicate, and don’t dilute their genetic material with a possibly weaker partner. (But it can’t be as much fun that way.) ---
**Author:** ![Katie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/a4c791/32.png) [@Katie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Katie)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germ-killer-99-99/59477/3 "2001-03-26T12:36:06Z")
Might also be because companies don’t want to say their products kill 100% of germs, because it’d leave them vulnerable to a lawsuit if someone encounters a germ their product can’t kill… ---
**Author:** ![Damhna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/3bc359/32.png) [@Damhna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damhna)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germ-killer-99-99/59477/4 "2001-03-26T13:16:47Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by PlanMan \* > \*\*That’s what’s the problem with all the “antibacterial” soaps and stuff, and over use of antibiotics, \*\* Mention also the underuse of antibiotics caused by the actions of the thundering idiots who refuse to finish a course of antibiotics and the medical staff who overprescribe antibiotics and write a script at the drop of a little nose gunk. It’s already created Multi Resistant Staph Aureus. The Stephen King Killer Mutant Bacterium from Hell isnt such an unlikely scenario. Products like these are dangerous and should not be allowed in the public domain. IMHO ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germ-killer-99-99/59477/5 "2001-03-26T16:04:56Z")
Your hands & mouth have billions of germs, thus, even if it got 99.99% there would still be millions of germs. BTW, they dont have much effect on viruses, which are usually pieces of RNA. ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germ-killer-99-99/59477/6 "2001-03-26T16:39:41Z")
[ot] Do Antibiotics have _any_ effect on viruses? [/ot] ---
**Author:** ![dublos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f08c70/32.png) [@dublos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dublos)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germ-killer-99-99/59477/7 "2001-03-26T16:57:25Z")
As written by **insider** > [@](#): > > What germs are not killed by these sprays that kill 99.99% of all germs? Why is it not 100%? I don’t know what sprays all of you are talking about, I don’t know that I’ve seen any that claim to kill 99.99% of germs that are not using good old fashioned chlorine bleach. Can / have any bacteria adapted to be resistent to chlorine? Is chlorine effective against viruses as well? -Doug ---
**Author:** ![bernse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@bernse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bernse)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2001, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germ-killer-99-99/59477/8 "2001-03-26T17:31:48Z")
I remember in Sex-Ed class in Jr. High, the instructor mentioned that Bleach killed the AIDS virus. A question was then asked why we just didn’t inject Bleach into people with AIDS… ---
**Author:** ![USCDiver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/uscdiver/32/354_2.png) [@USCDiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/USCDiver)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 1:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germ-killer-99-99/59477/9 "2001-03-27T01:48:09Z")
Antibiotics have no, I repeat NO, effect on viruses. Antibiotics target cellular processes that viruses don’t have, like DNA replication. ---
**Author:** ![Alphagene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Alphagene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alphagene)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germ-killer-99-99/59477/10 "2001-03-27T03:15:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by handy \* > \*\*BTW, they dont have much effect on viruses, which are usually pieces of RNA. \*\* Um, no. Viruses can (don’t know how you determined “usually”) but don’t awlays contain RNA. Some contain DNA. And even then viruses are more than just “pieces” of nucleic acid. Protein coats, membranes, tegument, non-structural proteins and any number of external stuctures make up viruses. It is possible to simplify a definition enough that its not longer factually accurate. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by USCDiver \* > **Antibiotics target cellular processes that viruses don’t have, like DNA replication.** Just to clarify, antibiotics target enzymes and processes that are specific to bacteria and not host cells. On the other hand, even the most complex viruses will hijack normal cellular processes for their own evil devices. Ideal antiviral medication will affect the viral enzymes without harming the host cells. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bernse \* > **A question was then asked why we just didn’t inject Bleach into people with AIDS…** [If chlorine in swimming pools kill AIDS, why can’t it be used as an AIDS cure?](http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/m971211a.html) ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germ-killer-99-99/59477/11 "2001-03-27T06:52:29Z")
Rule one in science, especially in biology, is that there is no such thing as 100%. Nothing ever works perfectly. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germ-killer-99-99/59477/12 "2001-03-27T16:00:35Z")
BTW: I didn’t say ‘always’ I said ‘usually’ anyway, Websters says ‘virus’: "b : any of a large group of submicroscopic infective agents that are regarded either as extremely simple microorganisms or as extremely complex molecules, that typically contain a protein coat surrounding an RNA or DNA core of genetic material but no semipermeable membrane, that are capable of growth and multiplication only in living cells, and that cause various important diseases in humans, lower animals, or plants; " ---
**Author:** ![dublos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f08c70/32.png) [@dublos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dublos)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2001, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/germ-killer-99-99/59477/13 "2001-03-27T17:04:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by dublos \* > As written by **insider** > > > [@](#): > > > > What germs are not killed by these sprays that kill 99.99% of all germs? Why is it not 100%? > > I don’t know what sprays all of you are talking about, I don’t know that I’ve seen any that claim to kill 99.99% of germs that are not using good old fashioned chlorine bleach. > > Can / have any bacteria adapted to be resistent to chlorine? Is chlorine effective against viruses as well? > > -Doug **Sticking with spray cleaners, who’s active ingrediant is chlorine bleach, can living organisms adapt to be resistent to this sort of spray?**