The feds are getting involved big time in the antibacterial soap and body wash industry. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is cracking down on manufacturers, saying in a bombshell new statement that these soaps so commonly used in millions of households are a big, fat scam, and are therefore hereby banned.

Americans spend massive amounts of money each year snatching up antibacterial soaps thinking they’re keeping themselves and their children safer from deadly illnesses than regular soap, but they’re 100 percent wrong, the FDA says. Many of these soaps are no better than regular soap and water, meaning you’re spending that extra money for nothing.

The FDA is banning most antibacterial soaps and body washes that are sold in stores around the country, saying that not only are they ineffective, but they also create possible health risks. The ban applies to soaps and body washes that contain triclosan and triclocarban, common antibacterial ingredients. Seventeen other active ingredients were also banned.

The antibacterial soap market is huge, making up 40 percent of the total soap market.

“Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” said Janet Woodcock, M.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER). “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.”