How does soap work?

We wash our hands all the time, but do you ever wonder why? It turns out that soap is super good at attaching to dirt and germs and carrying that gunk off skin. Join Molly and co-hosts Hope and Heaven as they zoom in on soap to see how this sudsy stuff cleans so well. Plus we’ll learn how soap was likely invented and meet some pioneers who helped prove that washing hands keeps us healthy. Oh, and everyone’s favorite viral podcasters, Kara and Gilly, are back! Plus a new Mystery Sound. Want to support the show? Join ⁠⁠Smarty Pass⁠⁠ to listen to ad-free episodes or donate! Want to see Brains On live?!? We are probably coming to a city near you. For a complete list of shows and links to tickets ⁠⁠head to our events page⁠⁠. More shows announced soon! May 30 - Electric City, Buffalo, NY May 31 - Royal Theatre, Toronto, ON (2nd show added!) June 6 - Michigan Theater, Ann Arbor, MI June 20 - Southern Theater, Columbus, OH June 21 - Turner Hall Ballroom, Milwaukee, WI Click here for a transcript of this episode.

You can listen to How does soap work? online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

How does soap work? is an episode from Brains On! Science podcast for kids by Lemonada Media.

This episode is 34:10 long.

This episode was published on Apr 28, 2026.

Yes. Use the heart button on the episode page to add it to your favorite episodes list.

Yes. This page shows related episodes from Brains On! Science podcast for kids when more episodes are available from the podcast feed.