By Matt Underwood Hand soaps voluntarily recalled due to bacteria that can cause life-threatening infections – this is the kind of news that makes you pause and take a closer look at what you’re using every day. It’s not every day you hear about a recall that involves something as seemingly harmless as hand soap. This isn’t just a little bit of concern, either; the bacteria in question are capable of causing serious infections.
The recent announcement from DermaRite Industries, LLC about their recall is a serious one. They’ve recalled several products, including DermaKleen antiseptic lotion soap, KleenFoam antibacterial foam soap, DermaSarra external analgesic, and PeriGiene antiseptic cleanser. The products were distributed across the US and Puerto Rico. What’s particularly unsettling is the timeline: affected products have expiration dates stretching out into the future, from July 2025 to February 2027. It makes you wonder about products already in circulation.
The culprit here is a bacteria known as *Burkholderia cepacia complex*, or BCC for short. This bacteria isn’t just a run-of-the-mill germ; it’s super tough. It’s resistant to many common disinfectants, like povidone-iodine, triclosan, and chlorhexidine, which are often found in cleaning products. This means those “kills 99.9% of germs!” claims aren’t as reassuring when faced with something like BCC.
This bacteria doesn’t just hang out in the lab; it’s found in marine environments, like marine sponges, and some strains can even handle high salinity. Think about that for a moment – soap, intended to clean, potentially harboring bacteria that thrives in salt water. The thought is a bit unnerving.
The implications are significant, especially for healthcare facilities. These products are often used in settings where hygiene is paramount. It’s not hard to imagine the increased risks associated with using contaminated products in a medical environment. People are right to be concerned about finding these soaps in their work’s medical vending machine or even at home.
It is good that the recall is voluntary. It shows some level of corporate responsibility, at least. It’s also a reminder that relying on the “free market” to self-regulate isn’t always enough to protect people. There’s a long history of corporations cutting corners or delaying action until the financial pressure is too great. The risk of lawsuits and loss of business can be a powerful motivator, but it’s often a reactive one, not a proactive one.
The question of how the soap became contaminated is crucial. While the specifics aren’t always known at first, it often points to issues during the manufacturing process. It’s possible to contaminate even supposedly sterile products, and even things like ethanol can be contaminated. The question is, what caused the contamination in the first place?
This whole situation also raises deeper questions about our reliance on antibacterial products. Are we creating new problems by overusing these products? Are we potentially fostering the growth of even more resistant bacteria? It’s a debate that continues, but it highlights the need for more balanced approach to hygiene.
It’s important to remember that not all bacteria are bad and that “regular old soap” is really very good at killing germs. Soap molecules have a structure that disrupts the lipid membranes of bacteria and viruses. Think of those hydrophobic “tails” that latch onto the germs and then get washed away with water. It is all a very cool concept, a very effective process, and, best of all, it is available everywhere.
The focus shouldn’t solely be on eliminating *all* germs. It should also be on making sure that the products we use don’t make us more vulnerable to infection. As always, the reality of the matter is that even the most basic, old-fashioned ways of staying healthy can be surprisingly effective.