Contents
Antibacterial laundry detergent is used both in specialized medical institutions and at home. The professional use of disinfectants is regulated by special instructions and is strictly controlled. In everyday life, every second a person encounters various viruses and microbes, the situation becomes more complicated if there are children, animals or sick people in the family. Doctors do not recommend using antibacterial soap for everyday use – this disrupts the natural biobalance of the skin, but is this true for clothing and household items?
Why do you need an antibacterial wash?
There are a huge number of diseases that require mandatory disinfection and quarantine, even if the patient is at home. Care of bedridden people obliges to decontaminate bed linen, clothing in order to avoid irritation, infectious wounds and bedsores. People who are immunosuppressed, after a course of chemotherapy and immunosuppressants are at risk, any bacterium can worsen the condition. Timely disinfection of sunbeds, rugs, pillows will not interfere with pet owners, it will protect them from infection with helminths. On how to disinfect children’s things, it is better to consult a pediatrician in order to avoid allergies.
How does washing powder kill bacteria?
Methods of disinfection are chemical and physical. Boiling, calcination, steaming, exposure to ultraviolet radiation are classified as physical, and acids, alkalis, formaldehydes, halides are classified as chemical. The most ancient method to process linen was boiling with alkali. It is used to this day, although the abundant powders and antibacterial gels can satisfy even the most demanding customer.
One of the important criteria for evaluating the effectiveness of the agent is the test for the destruction of mycobacterium Terra. This new strain is extremely resistant to chemicals, and it is believed that the death of this mycobacterium also means the death of any other microorganisms, including Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Antibacterial powder, in addition to surfactants and ballast substances, contains an antiseptic agent, such as chlorine, active oxygen, didecyldimethylammonium chloride, polyhexamethylene biguanide hydrochloride. The chemical damages the cytoplasmic membrane and destroys the cell of the virus or bacteria.
It is worth saying that the use of powders based on acids and chlorine spoils clothes, the fabric becomes thinner, loses color. Washing at a temperature of 60-90 degrees in a washing machine may well cope with the usual microbes and dust mites, but scientists say that pathogenic bacteria do not die at a temperature of 40 degrees, but only move from fabric to fabric. Therefore, if the clothing label has a maximum allowable temperature of 30 degrees, then it’s time to think about antibacterial household chemicals.
Professional chemistry for disinfection of linen
When disinfection is necessary for medical reasons, you should not trust beautiful packaging, but it is better to turn to proven products with a certificate of conformity.
Multidez “Teflex”
The tool is used to disinfect both surfaces and things. The composition includes surfactants and polyhexamethylene guanidine hydrochloride. The solution does not cause discoloration of fabrics and corrosion of metals, it is not aggressive towards surfaces. In an undiluted state, it kills 100% of bacteria after 5 minutes, including influenza, herpes, polio, hepatitis viruses, and is also active against pathogenic fungi, gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria. Used for processing dishes, linen, appliances, shoes, indoor surfaces, toys in kindergartens, laboratories, markets, hairdressers, catering establishments and at home. Washing time should be at least 30 minutes.
“Clovin II Septon”
Laundry powder contains sodium perborate tetrahydrate and tetraacytylamine, it is effective for Candida fungi and trichophytosis, viruses. “Clovin Septon” acts on the basis of active oxygen, both in soft and hard water, but the temperature should not be lower than 65 degrees, and the washing time should be less than 20 minutes. It is used in everyday life, at sports facilities, in places of public catering, kindergartens, schools.
“Glavstirka”
The powder contains 80% urea peroxyhydrate, and the mass fraction of active oxygen is not less than 6,5%. Tested for activity against mycobacterium Terra, plague, cholera, tularemia, as well as influenza viruses of parenteral hepatitis, pneumonia, and some fungi. “Glavwash” whitens well, removes stains. Suitable for most fabrics except wool and silk. The temperature and amount of powder must be accurately dosed according to the instructions. For machine washing, the dosage is calculated depending on the amount of water in the tank with a full load at the beginning of the cycle. This information can be found in the manual for the washing machine. In special cases, pre-soaking is required. Work with the powder should be in gloves, goggles, mask. The container with the solution must be closed, pour the product carefully, without dust.
The chemical industry produces a large number of disinfectants, almost all of them are universal and suitable for both washing clothes and processing items. Of the new drugs, one can note Aviright, Desam Extra, Bactol, Central, Frisept-Gamma, Anavidin-Complete, Amiksidin, ActiveBioProtect and others.
Review of powders with antibacterial effect for daily use
For lovers of dazzling cleanliness, it will be useful to know that you can take care of your health without gloves and goggles. Some brands have brought antibacterial household chemicals to the market that are easier to use.
Burti Hygiene, Germany
“Burti” does not contain chlorine, bleaches well, copes with stains, prevents the growth of bacteria without boiling and amplifiers. Can be used for baby clothes, tested according to German standards, approved by the Robert Koch Institute. The composition includes less than 5% non-ionic surfactants, polycarboxylates, 5-15% anionic surfactants, soap, zeolites, oxygen bleach, enzymes, fragrance, optical brightener, disinfectant. What kind of disinfectant, the manufacturer did not say, but the packaging says that it destroys 99,99% of bacteria, viruses, fungi.
LION Top Hygia, Japan
New generation gel does not contain phosphates and aggressive surfactants. As the main substance, it contains methyl ester ethoxylate – a proprietary invention that dissolves sebum in a special way, microscopic positively charged particles prevent the growth of bacteria on protein stains, as well as tea tree oil, which allows you to keep clothes fresh after washing. The manufacturer updated the composition in 2017 and added a component that kills gram-negative bacteria.
“White”
A well-known bleach and disinfectant contains sodium hypochlorite and is a strong oxidizing agent. It is produced in the form of a liquid or gel, has a pronounced smell of chlorine, is volatile, dangerous to the respiratory tract, mucous membranes. They are used only for cotton and linen fabrics, synthetics cannot be processed, colored items cannot be processed. Works well in both hot and cold water. It has a limited shelf life: a 9% solution at a temperature of 25 degrees semi-decomposes after 240 days. Damages and discolors the fabric. Contrary to popular belief, sodium hypochlorite is not a skin allergen, mutagen or carcinogen, as confirmed by toxicological studies. After use in everyday life, it decomposes into oxygen, water and ordinary table salt.
NS FaFa for baby clothes, Japan
The gel perfectly washes things, deeply conditions, has a pleasant aroma of flowering apple trees. Does not contain optical brighteners, very economical, contains antibacterial components. For 6 kg of laundry, 55 g of gel will be required, the manufacturer advises rinsing clothes at least 2 times.
Conclusions
- It is necessary to distinguish powders for household use with an antibacterial effect from products that are guaranteed to destroy all known pathogenic bacteria and viruses.
- When washing with strong disinfectant solutions, you need to remember safety precautions: do not inhale fumes, work with gloves and a mask, if it gets on the mucous membrane, rinse abundantly with clean cold water, consult a doctor.
- If you need to wash the clothes of a patient with an infectious disease, do not trust daily powders with a disinfectant effect, despite the promises on the package. Only a certificate of conformity obtained after a series of tests that could not be found for ordinary powders can confirm the effectiveness.
- For complete disinfection, it is important to follow the instructions, not to violate the temperature regime and exposure time (the time spent in the solution until the final death of bacteria).
- If there are no medical indications, then special powders for disinfecting linen are not so necessary: fans of sterility get sick no less, the immune system needs constant contact with microbes.
- It is not possible to find out whether the powder disinfects clothes in practice, even strong chemistry can only cope under certain conditions, it is right to ask why hospitals do not use newfangled gels if 99,99% of killed viruses and microbes are declared on the package.