Scientists warn antibacterial soaps and wipes can fuel antimicrobial resistance

An international team of scientists is warning that everyday antibacterial soaps, wipes, sprays, and other “germ‑killing” products are quietly contributing to the global rise of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) while providing no added health benefit for most consumer uses. Antibiotic-resistant infections already cause more than one million deaths worldwide each year and could rival cancer as a leading cause of death by 2050, according to the United Nations Environment Programme.

Most global AMR prevention efforts have focused on antibiotic overuse in healthcare and agriculture. Now, researchers from universities and institutes in the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Switzerland have published a Viewpoint highlighting growing evidence that biocides commonly used in household products—such as quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) and chloroxylenol—can promote resistance among bacteria not only to the chemicals themselves but also to critical antibiotic medicines.

“Global AMR strategies have focused on hospitals and farms while overlooking everyday products used in homes that may contribute to resistance,” said senior author Miriam Diamond, a professor at the University of Toronto. “Biocides from soaps and disinfecting products are washed down millions of household drains every day, entering wastewater systems and the broader environment where they create ideal conditions for bacteria to adapt and become harder to kill. With little evidence of health benefit, these uses should be a clear target for AMR prevention.”

QACs and other biocides are added to antibacterial hand soaps, disinfecting wipes and sprays, laundry sanitizers, plastics, textiles, and personal care products, and their use surged during the COVID-19 pandemic and remains elevated today. The authors summarize numerous laboratory and real-world studies showing that environmental levels of these chemicals cause resistant bacteria to survive and spread, promote cross-resistance to important antibiotics, and cause lasting genetic changes to microbes, including the exchange of resistance genes. Over time, these shifts can allow resistant strains to dominate. This translates to the spread of antibiotic resistant genes that threaten the effectiveness of antibiotics when we really need them and can contribute to rising deaths. 

Evidence shows biocides in many consumer products provide no added health benefit but the biocides do raise concerns about AMR and toxicity. Major health authorities—including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and World Health Organization—recommend handwashing with plain soap and water rather than antibacterial soap for the general public. The authors call on the World Health Organization and its partners to explicitly include consumer‑product biocides in the next Global Action Plan on AMR, including setting clear reduction targets supported by environmental monitoring. They also urge national governments to restrict antimicrobial ingredients in household products when there is no evidence of efficacy, and to conduct public awareness campaigns to counter the myth that antibacterial products are needed for everyday cleanliness.

“The overuse of biocides in consumer products is low-hanging fruit in the fight against AMR,” said lead author Rebecca Fuoco, Director of Science Communications at the Green Science Policy Institute and doctoral student at Johns Hopkins University. “By phasing out unnecessary antibacterial additives, we can reduce chemical pollution, protect public health, and help slow the spread of superbugs.”