Health safety of trading partially used soap

Brushes,razors and soaps I can sanitize,doesn't bother me at all.Seen a reference or 2 to eating utensils at restaurants.As a plumber by trade,if you think your favorite eatery will shut down when a water heater or sanitizer goes on the fritz,well you are sadly mistaken.Ask me why I seldom eat out.I could post things here that would have you guys never eating anywhere but home sweet home.

Please don't tell us anything.   I mostly eat out.  

See, I’m thinking WVHDRyder should start a thread on this topic. It might help some of us eat out less and save more money for acquisitions…

You could do any of the following, if you're the nervous type:

1) Heat the soap to 140ºF.
2) Boil it.
3) Soak it in alcohol and/or bleach.

Of course, you won't have much of a soap left when finished... But it'll be sterile.

Brushes,razors and soaps I can sanitize,doesn't bother me at all.Seen a reference or 2 to eating utensils at restaurants.As a plumber by trade,if you think your favorite eatery will shut down when a water heater or sanitizer goes on the fritz,well you are sadly mistaken.Ask me why I seldom eat out.I could post things here that would have you guys never eating anywhere but home sweet home.

DOOWIT
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Andrew asked Churchillafemme to comment, plus his comment makes a lot of sense. This leads me to believe that he has training or work where he knows about such things, thus I really like his take.

I worked in the past as an immunologist, caring for HIV/AIDS patients.

Any tips? What do you do with your used soap purchases?

maybe churchilllafemme can chime in with his thoughts.

HIV dies outside the human body within hours.  Hepatitis viruses survive a lot longer, up to around a week in dried blood on an environmental surface.  Just to be somewhat safe, when I receive a used shaving soap, I use hot water to scrub off the surface, then let the soap dry in open air for 10-14 days.  As has been pointed out, the least risky approach would be simply not to use soap from others, but that's too restrictive for me; I'm willing to accept the very small risk associated with my careful use of previously used shaving soap.

I didn't quote his while post. Here is where he talks about how he handles this.

i have not bought used soaps and never plan to, primarily for some of these health related concerns. I have never thought of it in the detail that some are mentioning here but it reinforces my gut feel.