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Mystery #2Tier 1-2microbes / health

Why do we wash our hands with soap?

Your hands can look perfectly clean and still need washing before dinner, and a quick splash of water never seems enough, so grown-ups insist on soap. If you can't see anything there, what exactly are you washing off?

Hands being washed with soap under a running tap
Photo: Edithobayaa1 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · via Wikimedia Commons

Your guess

What's your hunch about what you're really washing off, if your hands already look clean?

There's no single magic word to type, have a go in your own words, then reveal the answer to see how close you got.

Make a guess to unlock the hints and the answer.