# Hand sanitizer on a metal doorknob = rust?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-sanitizer-on-a-metal-doorknob-rust/691958>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 29, 2014, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-sanitizer-on-a-metal-doorknob-rust/691958 "2014-06-29T20:09:47Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![YellowDog51](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a5b964/32.png) [@YellowDog51](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YellowDog51)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2014, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/hand-sanitizer-on-a-metal-doorknob-rust/691958/21 "2014-07-01T18:10:10Z")

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> [@chiroptera](#):
>
> I don’t get the drama here…I mean yes, poop is offensive and contains bacteria. But any antibacterial cleaner, or dish soap, or bleach, will take care of that. Anyone with cats, dogs, birds, other pets, infirm elderly relatives or children knows this. Over-sanitizing everything in your [environment is not a great idea](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene_hypothesis).
> 
> Even worrying about the effect of hand sanitizers on a poopy door knob and worrying about the rust screams either anal-retentive or germophobic to me. Just clean the freaking thing with whatever soap or cleaner is available. All soap is antibacterial by definition. Soap or cleaners labeled “antibacterial” may actually do[more harm than good](http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/health/med-tech/are-antibacterial-soaps-really-better-16290612).

I do understand what I take to be your concern about resistance in bacteria but I’m not sure this discussion rises to the level of “drama”. I would offer a different perspective: As one who has a child with a serious illness that involves immune deficiencies I simply want to add that some people have reason to be more aware of potential infection dangers and may engage in behaviors that some would consider “germophpobic”.

To one other point in particular (and please correct me if I’m wrong), my understanding is that soap is not “antibacterial by definition” but, instead, soap acts as a surfactant that causes bacteria to slide off one’s skin to be flushed down the drain. While that process generally works well for normal healthy people, a somewhat higher level of caution may be appropriate for some.

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