system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Soap kills 99.9% of germs, why doesn't it work when ingested to kill the germs inside you?
gpt
Soap doesn't kill germs at all. Soap is what's called a *surfactant,* which is a chemical that makes it easier for things to dissolve in water. When you wash your hands with soap, it's actually the action of rubbing your hands together and running water over them that removes stuff, including bacteria and viruses.

*Disinfectants* kill germs. We can broadly divide them into two categories: Ones that would make you sick if you consumed them, and ones that wouldn't. We use disinfectants that *don't* make you sick all over the place, particularly in drinking water.

*Antibiotics,* on the other hand, are chemicals which are specifically used to kill harmful microorganisms in your body. What's the difference between an antibiotic and a disinfectant? An antibiotic can be absorbed by the body and transported into your *lymphatic system.* Your lymphatic system is that part of your body that's responsible for moving infection-fighting agents to areas of infection. In order for an antibiotic to reach the infection that's making you sick, it has to "hitch a ride" on your lymphatic system to get there. Antibiotics are chemicals that can do that, while disinfectants aren't.