‪Why does soap kill (inactivate) coronavirus. The weak point of the viral nanoparticle is the lipid bilayer. Soap is a detergent that dissolves the fatty membrane.

Hand sanitizer is fine – but good old soap and water works best. You need at least 60% alcohol in hand sanitizer to accomplish the same thing as just a little bit of soap. Plus – soap is cheaper and less likely to run out.

References

Thordarson. The science of soap – here’s how it kills the coronavirus. The Guardian, 2020.