How does soap actually clean things?

The answer

Soap molecules are amphiphilic, meaning they have a water-loving (hydrophilic) head and an oil-loving (hydrophobic) tail. When soap encounters grease or dirt on your skin, the hydrophobic tails burrow into the oily grime while the hydrophilic heads remain in the water. This forms tiny spheres called micelles that encapsulate the dirt, pulling it off the surface and suspending it in water to be rinsed away. This same mechanism is why soap is effective against enveloped viruses - it dissolves their lipid membrane, destroying them.