Wednesday, March 18, 2020

The CDC's Guidelines for Killing Germs



If you click on THIS LINK, you can see the CDC's guidelines for killing the Coronavirus.  Note that the CDC recommends using a bleach solution, but if you scroll down the page, you'll see that hypochlorous acid has been shown to be a more powerful germ killer than bleach.  



How to clean and disinfect:
Surfaces
  • Wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. Gloves should be discarded after each cleaning. If reusable gloves are used, those gloves should be dedicated for cleaning and disinfection of surfaces for COVID-19 and should not be used for other purposes. Consult the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning and disinfection products used. Clean hands immediately after gloves are removed.
  • If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
  • For disinfection, diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.
    • Diluted household bleach solutions can be used if appropriate for the surface. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.
      • Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
        • 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
        • 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water

If you look at THIS PAGE, you'll see information listed, that shows how hypochlorous acid is considered to be a more powerful disinfectant than bleach.  From the page:

Chlorine as a disinfectant

Not all chlorine species are equally effective as disinfectants. Many studies have explored the mechanism of chlorine disinfection and although it is not possible to explain precisely how each particular chlorine species works, current theory4 believes that inactivation occurs by means of one or more of the following mechanisms: inactivation of the key enzymes; disruption of nucleic acids rendering them non-functional; and oxidative damage to cell walls or other vital cell components. For each of the mechanisms described above the effectiveness of each disinfecting agent is a function of both its rate of diffusion through the cell wall and it reactivity with the cell wall, proteins and nucleic acid.
Hypochlorous acid is the most effective disinfectant in the chlorine family available in dilute solution
Hypochlorous acid (HOCL) is the most effective disinfectant in the chlorine family available in dilute solution. It is suggested that HOCL is 80 to 120 times more efficacious than sodium hypochlorite.5 Because HOCL has no charge and has a relatively low molecular weight it is better able than the other chlorine based disinfectants to penetrate the cell walls. It also reacts more rapidly than other chlorine-based disinfectants to oxidation reactions with organic matter, i.e. the critical components of microbial cells. Conversely the hypochlorite ion is a relatively poor disinfectant because of its inability to diffuse through the cell wall. Since it is negatively charged it is electrostatically repelled from the cell walls, which are also negatively charged. It is much larger in size than an HOCL molecule so it also diffuses more slowly due to its larger size.

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