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Actually, the WHO 2008 reference cited recommends handwashing with "soap or ash" for controlling epidemics (in the section where cholera is used as an example). For even for health centres stolen soap can be a problem as mentioned on some of these pages and clean ash can be an alternative and spare option for cleaning hands and / or disinfection. How hard is on the skin (alkaline) and the germs depends on concentration, time and other factors and how fresh the ash is, and if lotion or oil is provided after hand washing.