Fighting Cold and Flu Germs:

Microbiologists Find Soap and water Best for Washing Hands, Removing Germs

Nothing works better at getting rid of disease causing viruses than simply washing one's hands with old-fashioned soap and water. That advice comes from the largest and most comprehensive scientific study ever done to compare the effectiveness of hand hygiene products.

Microbiologists st the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill tested 14 hand hygiene agents -- everything from soap and and alcohol rubs to plain old tap water -- against hardy bacteria and viruses applied to the hands of 62 volunteers.

The study found that soap and water did the best job of removing germs. Just 10 seconds of washing with soap and water was enough to knock off more than 90 percent of microbes.

A little about Uncle Jon's...

At Uncle jon's Soap, we strive to make soap that is healthy, handmade and all natural. All the soap at Uncle Jon's Soap is hand made, hand molded, hand cut and hand packaged by "Uncle Jon" and family.

We specialize in homemade soaps and offer other fine products including sugar scrubs, soap dishes, hooded children's towels and even laundry powder.

We started making soap after reading that handmade soap will help your skin retain its natural oils better than store bought soaps. A little research pointed out to us that glycerin, a natural byproduct of soapmaking, is extracted from the store bought soaps in order to make higher priced items like lotions and creams. Glycerin is an important ingredient; it provides moisture to your skin, making it softer.

When making soap, we use vegetable oils as well as animal fats, lye, essential oils, herbs, vitamin E and honey. All ingredients are printed right on the packaging. We tend to vary the ingredients depending on the soap being made.

You can sort through our site to find out information about our soap and soap in general. There is also a page for purchasing soap. Soon, we hope to have a journal page, where we can keep you all up to date with our most current news. Please use the menu buttons at the top or left side of the page to navigate our site.