Is Antibacterial Hand Soap Safe? Dial's Germ Killer Still Has No Safety Ruling (2026)
The short answer
Your knuckles split open every winter. They sting each time you wash.
Plain soap and water does the job. The CDC says studies found no added health benefit from antibacterial soap at home. Dial's pump now runs on benzalkonium chloride. A 2016 federal rule set it aside with no ruling on whether it is safe.
The old pump said antibacterial. The new pump says antibacterial. The germ killer inside is what changed.
What this guide answers
What else in your house says it protects you?
The free 3 minute scan goes room by room and tells you what to swap first. You give a first name and a cell, and your score comes by one text. It is free because I would rather you see your own shelf than take my word for it.
Take the free home scanWhat is actually in the Dial pump?
Quick answer: one germ killer, and its safety file is still open after ten years.
You stood at the bathroom sink longer than you meant to, working the foam into the cracks on your knuckles.
You bought that pump to keep your family well.
No shame in that. It sits at eye level in the soap aisle.
The problem is what Henkel, the company behind Dial, puts in it. Dial's own drug label, posted in June 2026, lists one active ingredient. It is benzalkonium chloride, at 0.13%. The label says "Kills 99.99% bacteria."
The federal record says something else.
In September 2016, a federal rule pulled 19 germ killers out of soaps you rinse off. Triclosan was one. The rule set three more aside, and Dial's was one of the three.
Companies had asked for more time to fill gaps in the data. And so the rule made no call on whether it is safe and works in your soap.
The answer would come after the studies, it said, "or at a later date if these studies are not completed." Ten years on, there is still no final answer. In 2025, a California Assembly report said a final ruling had still not been issued.
Benzalkonium chloride, the germ killer in the pump
It kills the bacteria. It is also something your skin does not love. It comes from the same family of germ killers you find in disinfecting sprays.
A 2019 review from UC Davis calls benzalkonium chlorides "known skin irritants." Dial's own label says to stop if "irritation or redness develops."
Does antibacterial soap work better than plain soap?
Quick answer: not at home, says the CDC. And the germ-killing kind may help germs outlast medicine.
The CDC says it in nine words: "Use plain soap and water to wash your hands." It says studies found no added benefit from the germ-killing kind, unless you work in health care.
There is a second worry. The CDC says some research finds it may add to antibiotic resistance. That means germs the usual medicines stop killing.
The UC Davis review raised the same worry about this exact chemical. Used everywhere, it can favor germs that may shrug off other drugs too.
And so the pump promises 99.99%. Plain soap does the job with no drug in it.
What did Dial get sued over last time?
Quick answer: its old germ killer, triclosan, and a promise to kill 99.99% of germs.
Shoppers in ten states sued over Dial Complete. In 2011 their cases were joined in one federal court in New Hampshire.
The court's March 2013 order sums up their claims. The soap said it "kills 99.99% of germs" and was "doctor recommended." The shoppers said the proof was one in-house study of seven to thirteen people.
The germ killer then was triclosan. Their complaint said it was first patented as a weed killer.
In May 2019 the court approved a $7.4 million settlement. Shoppers who signed up could get 27 cents a bottle, up to $8.10 without a receipt. Lawyers' fees and costs came to $4.43 million.
The Justice Department objected that the deal gave shoppers little. It argued Dial had dropped triclosan and the germ claim years before.
Dial changed the germ killer. It changed one word on the bottle, germs to bacteria. The big word on the front stayed.
The record on Dial's pump, in order. Start with the last column.
| What happened | The concern | Named authority and date | What it does NOT mean |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dial Complete sued over germ claims | One small in-house study, the shoppers alleged | US District Court, New Hampshire, March 2013 order | Not a ruling that the soap failed |
| 19 germ killers pulled from rinse-off soap | Benzalkonium chloride set aside for more data | Federal rule, September 2016 | Not a finding that it is unsafe |
| $7.4 million settlement | 27 cents a bottle back to shoppers | US District Court, New Hampshire, May 2019 | Not a court finding that Dial lied |
| The pump today | Benzalkonium chloride 0.13%, "Kills 99.99% bacteria" | Dial's drug label, posted June 2026 | Not proof it hurt anyone |
Is there a case for keeping the pump?
Quick answer: yes, three fair ones, and not one is a reason you need it.
One. The 2016 rule never called Dial's germ killer unsafe. It said the data had gaps. That is a different charge.
Two. The amount is small, 0.13%. Nobody has proven the pump by your sink split your knuckles, and I am not going to pretend they have.
Three. The same chemical turns up in eye drops, shampoos and hospital cleaners.
So why does it still sit wrong with me?
Because the pump still promises 99.99%, and plain soap does the job. You rub that drug into your hands every time you wash, for no added benefit at home.
You are far from the only one who trusted that 99.99% promise. About 260,000 shoppers were in line for money back from that one settlement.
What goes by the sink instead?
Quick answer: plain soap, with no germ-killing drug added.
Take the Dial pump off the sink. Put plain soap where it stood, with no germ-killing drug. Lather up and rinse well.
Your skin is alive, and it does not need a drug each time you wash.
For the rest of the house, I point you to Switch to America. It is a private membership store. We are the manufacturer. No middlemen, no markup.
Start tonight. Swap the Dial pump at every sink in the house.
Shannon's Advice
Straight talk from ShannonI do not call them grocery stores. They are poison centers meant to do you and your family harm. It is not just the brands who are doing the harm, it is the stores themselves. They allow these toxic products on their shelves. People are sick and dying. This is a very serious matter. How can we ever trust them again?
We can't trust them. That is where Switch to America comes in. We are a new supply chain, built on family values, trust and affordability.
You do not have to take my word for it. The proof is in my blog posts, the recalls, the lawsuits and the fines, and in the app I built called The Family Home Toxic Scorecard. Also, inside my Switch Circle private community, we talk about real solutions.
Women come to me exhausted, in pain, stressed out, and on a list of prescriptions they never wanted. I have spent over 20 years helping women get off prescription medications. I help families reclaim their health.
We cannot stop them. I have stopped expecting to. However, we can stop walking into their stores. We are linking arms and together taking our control back. Control of our health and our finances.
Start by clicking the link below and taking the SCAN.
The receipts
- Federal Register, September 6, 2016. The rule pulled 19 germ killers from rinse-off soap because the data did not show them safe and effective. It put off any ruling on benzalkonium chloride. What it means: the germ killer in your pump is still waiting.
- US District Court, New Hampshire, March 26, 2013. Shoppers in ten states alleged Dial Complete's germ claims were false. The court let the case go on. What it means: the 99.99% promise had to answer in court.
- US Justice Department, May 10, 2019. It said the proposed deal would pay shoppers $2.32 million, and argued Dial had made the required changes years before. What it means: by the Justice Department's account, the fix the deal paid for had already happened.
- New Hampshire Union Leader, June 1, 2019. The court approved the $7.4 million settlement, and Dial agreed to drop the germ claim for five years. A settlement is not an admission. What it means: the promise came back as 27 cents a bottle.
- Dial's drug label, posted on DailyMed June 2026. Benzalkonium chloride 0.13%, "Kills 99.99% bacteria," and a warning to stop if irritation or redness develops. What it means: the set-aside germ killer is in the pump today.
Who do you become?
You become the one in your house who knows what is in the pump by the sink.
It is a Saturday in April. You are out at the potting table with dirt to your wrists, pressing soil around a rosemary plant.
You come inside and wash at the sink with plain soap. You dry your hands on the towel, and then it is back to the garden.
It took one swap to start.
Three minutes, room by room
The pump is one bottle. The free scan checks the rest of your house and tells you what to swap first. A first name and a cell, one text with your score, and nobody calls.
Take the free home scanWhat else do people ask?
Is Dial soap bad for your skin?
Its germ killer is a known skin irritant, says a 2019 UC Davis review. Nobody has proven it split your hands. Dial's own label says to stop if your skin turns red.
Is benzalkonium chloride banned?
No. A 2016 federal rule set it aside to wait for more safety and effectiveness data, and it is still sold. Triclosan, the germ killer Dial once used, was pulled.
Do I need germ-killing soap in cold and flu season?
The CDC says to use plain soap and water. It says studies found no added benefit from the germ-killing kind outside health care.
My mom used Dial her whole life and she is fine. Why switch?
That is not nothing, and I am not going to pretend it is. But fine so far is not a safety study. The ruling on this germ killer is still open after ten years. You get to be the one who did not wait for it.