Hygiene in Action: Effectiveness of Cleaning Methods on Bathroom Door Handles

Abstract

This study investigated the effectiveness of three cleaning methods - hand soap, sanitizing gel, and sanitizing wipes - in terminating bacteria and minimizing their growth. The experiment was conducted in the Chemistry Building at UBC, where each cleaning method was applied to nine different bathroom door handles. Samples were collected using sterile swabs and cultured on agar plates, which were then left in an incubator at 37°C to grow over the span of two weeks. The results were statistically inconclusive (p-value 0.128, which is greater than 0.05) as we didn’t have enough data to formulate a general trend comparing the three cleaning methods. However, the sanitizing wipes had the least amount of bacterial colonies by the end (mean = 0 colonies, SD = 0), suggesting it to be the most effective. Future studies should include larger sample sizes and controlled environmental variables to better assess cleaning efficacy. Such studies could help inform better hygiene practices and contribute to the development of effective sanitization guidelines.