INDUSTRY // SPONSORED
Disinfectant wipes – How and why do they meet the challenge of COVID-19?
S
urface disinfection is always important, and it has been at the forefront of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The advice from public health, scientific, and governmental authorities has been to clean surfaces and hands frequently to break the chain of infection. In most settings the aim is to clean more often and more visibly to reassure customers, guests and staff while also providing the best possible protection against the virus. The ready-to-use Oxivir® Wipe is a good way to meet this challenge; that combines the convenience of a wipe with disinfection properties and the confidence that it is approved as a disinfectant for use against COVID-19 as it is listed in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG). Oxivir Wipes offer a convenient, simple, fast, and safe means to clean and disinfect hard surfaces. Choosing the right disinfectant is an important decision and there are a lot of different products on the market. It is essential to ensure the choice of product will be effective against the pathogens of concern. At the moment, on top of most people’s list is the SARS-CoV-2 virus that causes COVID-19. SARS-CoV-2 is an enveloped virus, a class of virus that is generally easy to kill. In Australia, virucidal & fungicidal claims are specific claims that require products to be listed in the ARTG.
PROTECTING AGAINST MULTIPLE PATHOGENS INCLUDING SARS-COV-2 The active ingredient in Oxivir Wipes is Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide(AHP). The disinfectant properties of hydrogen peroxide have been known for many years. 6 INCLEAN NEW ZEALAND May 2021
It is an oxidising agent that binds to the walls of an organism and causes damage that quickly makes it die. AHP builds on this capability by combining low levels of hydrogen peroxide with a patented blend of commonly used, safe ingredients. This dramatically increases the disinfection potency and cleaning performance of the combined formulation. Products containing AHP have been tested and shown to kill viruses - including enveloped viruses - in one minute. In fact, Diversey’s disinfectants containing various active levels of AHP offer a broad-spectrum protection: they are highly effective against a wide range of viruses, bacteria spores, yeasts, and fungi, including C. diff, MRSA, VRE, Norovirus, E. coli, and P. aeruginosa.
EFFECTIVE AGAINST CORONAVIRUS IN ONE MINUTE: SHORTER CONTACT TIMES Oxivir Wipes are effective against coronaviruses and many other viruses in one minute. This is up to ten times faster than many ordinary disinfectants. In practical terms this means an Oxivir Wipe disinfects as it cleans during a single wipe across a surface. They are believed to be the only wipe on the market that combines this level of cleaning and disinfection in a single product. All disinfectants are tested for their ability to reduce the number of pathogens of concern by a specified amount, as described by each particular standard. The time this takes is known as the contact time and it varies from disinfectant to disinfectant. Contact time must be realistically short so that pathogens are killed before the surface dries. Many products on the market are effective
against enveloped viruses but only AHP offers full virucidal performance in realistic and practical contact times.
SIMPLE AND SAFE TO USE AT ANY TIME AHP’s ability to kill pathogens quickly makes Oxivir Wipes ideal for frequent cleaning. The user simply wipes the surface and moves on knowing that the disinfectant will work before it dries. With an Oxivir Wipe, liquid is always present at the correct concentration for effective disinfection. That means the right amount of disinfectant is wiped onto the surface for fast and effective performance every time. There is no need to wear PPE, take special precautions, rinse the surface, worry about preparing solutions, or using special equipment. Users simply wipe the surface and move on. Oxivir Wipes are non-corrosive and nonirritating to the skin. They can be used without wearing PPE and carry no hazard classification. Nor do they contain volatile organic compounds (VOCs), alkylphenol ethoxylates (APEs), nonylphenol ethoxylates (NPEs). Because of this they are ideal when highly visible frequent cleaning will provide additional reassurance to customers, guests, and staff.
SUITABLE FOR ALMOST EVERY HARD SURFACE The wipes are to use on almost any surface which makes them ideal for any setting where high performance disinfection is essential. They are suitable for surfaces including stainless steel, chrome, vinyl / PVC, nylon, laminated wall panels, glass, rubber, and such as polypropylene (PP), HDPE polyethylene, fibreglass and polycarbonate.