© Malinaccier

With H1N1 on everyone’s mind, antibacterial soap and hand sanitizers have been flying off the shelves. Prevention is key, we are told, so wash your hands frequently and dry them using hand towels to prevent acquiring or spreading infection and flu…

But should you use regular soap or antibacterial soap? Should you skip the soap all together and use hand sanitizer? What’s safest? Most effective? What are the environmental health implications?

Antibacterial products (and soaps) are intended to kill germs that cause sickness…but did you know that the American Environmental Protection Agency considers them pesticides?