Soap killing coronavirus, conceptual illustration. Soap molecules are long and thin, with a hydrophilic (water loving) head and a hydrophobic (fat loving) tail. The hydrophobic tails are attracted to the lipid envelope of the virus and attach to it, breaking it apart. They form spherical structures called micelles, with their hydrophilic heads on the outside. This makes them attractive to water, which can then wash the captured fragments of virus away.