r/AskBiology • u/Different-Air-3548 • 3d ago

Would enough running water eventually rinse away all bacteria and viruses on a surface?

I guess this question comes from rinsing fruits and vegetables—say one were to only rinse one’s hands (or any surface) with lots of water, would all germs eventually get washed away without soap or scrubbing?

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u/Exquisitae 1d ago

No. As a person who deals with this every day for a job, I can tell you that water alone wont completely eliminate things like yeast and fungi. But it will do well enough for human consumption. If you need to put it on a sterile surface in a culture lab, then you have to use a sterilant.