Antimicrobial Efficacy of Hygiene Rinsers under Consumer-Related Conditions

Abstract

In domestic laundry, the question how to achieve a sufficient germ reduction gains importance since the trend towards lower washing temperatures and the incremental use of bleach-free liquid detergents does not ensure a sufficient hygiene by the means of temperature and bleach any longer. Hygiene rinsers as products being added to the rinse cycle offer further antimicrobial efficacy and seem to provide an adequate solution for this challenge. However, their regular application is debated due to the used ingredients and it is still unclear whether they are able to exhibit an additional antimicrobial efficacy. This study investigates the germ reduction by a supplementary use of hygiene rinsers under conditions that are close to the parameters found in the household to evaluate the benefit of these products for the hygienic reconditioning of laundry.

Impact of wash cycle time, temperature and detergent formulation on the hygiene effectiveness of domestic laundering

“…The results indi-cate that enhanced hygiene effectiveness occurs at all temperatures between 20 and 60°C, but the extent of this effect varied depending on temperature and strain type. The impact of AOB on the hygiene effectiveness of machine laundering has also been demonstrated by Terpstra et al 2003;Lichtenberg et al 2006;Linke et al 2011;Bellante et al, 2011, Vossebein 2013and Lucassen et al 2013. The data of Heinzel et al 2010 suggest that laundering with AOB detergent can also enhance effectiveness against viruses.…”

“…From their studies of the hygiene effectiveness of laundering, Lucassen et al . () concluded that, for naturally contaminated towels, a wash temperature of 50°C led to sufficient decontamination of bacteria. Lichtenberg et al .…”

“…From their studies of the hygiene effectiveness of laundering, Lucassen et al (2013) concluded that, for naturally contaminated towels, a wash temperature of 50°C led to sufficient decontamination of bacteria. Lichtenberg et al concluded that laundering of normally soiled washables at low temperatures with AOB-free detergent is also sufficient to obtain adequate hygiene, if there are no special hygienic requirements such as infections of skin or intestines (Lichtenberg et al 2006).…”

Laundry hygiene-how to get more than clean

“…; Lucassen et al . , ). Interestingly, this number is considerably lower than the initial count that is used in normative experimental designs for the evaluation of the antimicrobial efficacy of laundering, which normally requires textile test carriers that have been artificially contaminated with up to 10 8 CFU per ml (Gebel et al .…”

“…Some studies reporting the contamination of clothing in healthcare facilities suggest that frequent contaminations with micro-organisms resistant to desiccation (such as Staphylococcus aureus) must be considered likely (Howe et al 1961;Smith et al 1987;Bloomfield et al 2011) and that the total bioburden on items such as soiled sheets and terry towels (depending on certain situation-dependent factors) might be up to 10 4 -10 6 CFU per cm 2 (Blaser et al 1984). In contrast, there are virtually no investigations on the number of microbial cells and the composition of the microbiota on worn or used textiles in daily life scenarios, but some studies suggest that the microbial count after normal use might be in the range of 10 2 -10 4 CFU per cm 2 (McQueen et al 2007;Lucassen et al 2013Lucassen et al , 2014. Interestingly, this number is considerably lower than the initial count that is used in normative experimental designs for the evaluation of the antimicrobial efficacy of laundering, which normally requires textile test carriers that have been artificially contaminated with up to 10 8 CFU per ml (Gebel et al 2001;Anon.…”