From SARS to H1N1 and now the COVID. 19, many viruses and outbreaks due to ‘germs’ have been seen in the last decade. This has also led to dozens of new products that boast of their antimicrobial properties.
MYTH OR REALITY?
However, preventive hygiene products, including disinfectants and hand washing. Just as household care products like floor and toilet cleaners come with a warning that they kill 99.9 percent, or 99.99 percent, of common bacteria and fungi.
We have seen it in advertisements, we read it on labels ad nauseam.
But have you considered what this implies?
A claim like 99.99 percent germ elimination may not be a plausible promise that many products can deliver on when it comes to performance on various types of germs such as bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores.
While the products may be 99.99 percent effective on one type of germ. They may not be in others that are difficult to disinfect.
Products that claim to kill 99.9% of germs: Pay attention to the fine print on the product
Some of the more popular products that carry this claim are effective only on a small spectrum of germs and pathogens. The test comes in the form of fine print somewhere on the container that lists the germs that a product actually kills. And this list may or may not include some or all viruses. This means that the 100 percent spectrum is limited to begin with.
Not all disinfectants and medical fluids are the same. Contrary to popular belief, sanitizing solutions can differ from each other in many different ways. As well as they can have different claims of efficacy and dilution ratios.
The different components of essences
The most common disinfectant solutions that are used for the maintenance of the facilities or the action of deep elimination of germs are composed of active ingredients such as; sodium hypochlorite (bleach), quaternary ammonium (quat), hydrogen peroxide, silver ions, alcohol or acids, iodine, etc.
Their own characteristics of elimination of germs, and when they are mixed with other compounds to form a solution, they can be effective in different strains of pathogens.
So what should you and your patients be on the lookout for?
Look for third-party certifications: Products are unlikely to be certified by an independent testing facility. Preferably affiliated with ISO, they can claim something that they do not comply with.
These details can be found on the labels of the products you choose. Go beyond front-line claims and ads – read the fine print and get involved before you buy.
What will it be used for?
First, be aware of the usage scenario: when choosing a product, you should look for the active ingredients responsible for disinfection.
On the other hand, you have to be careful with products that try to do more than one job: 8/10 times the products that try to sell themselves as cooling and disinfecting agents combined in one can be diluted. Hence, less effective versions of products that focus on one main premise.
- Read about the technology / science that the product uses to make this happen.
- Product description sections on e-commerce platforms. Product labels or website are good places to look for this information.
The use of disinfecting agents is important, especially at a time when daily hygiene is of utmost importance.
However, it is imperative that both you and your patients take a moment to evaluate product specifications and certifications to truly judge efficacy.
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