system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How does soap actually disinfect germs?
gpt
And for the germ-killing (*antibacterial*) soap...

Most germs (*bacteria*) are built like medieval cities, with the good stuff inside and walls (*cell membranes*) to protect them.  These walls have gates with gatekeepers (*ion channels/porins*) to let only specific things and people (*nutrients and wastes*) pass.  If this wall is compromised, things would be really bad.

Germ-killing soap almost always work by doing damage to the walls.  Some are general "wall-breakers", and others (e.g., gramicidin) insert arbitrary gates into the walls... so workers that were supposed to stay in goes out, and all becomes splattery goo.  Ack.