Novel color additive for chlorine disinfectants corrects deficiencies in spray surface coverage and wet-contact time and checks for correct chlorine concentration

Evaluation of the antimicrobial efficacy and skin safety of a novel color additive in combination with chlorine disinfectants

“…33 A recent study demonstrated that typical bleach disinfectants cover <33% of a sprayed surface and lose coverage over the duration of the contact time, whereas the addition of color additive improved bleach surface coverage to >99.9% and maintained this level of coverage for 15 minutes. 4 When used in real-world settings, this color additive may maximize the efficacy of bleach disinfectants due to superior spray coverage.…”

“…40 Another study demonstrated that the color additive improved the surface coverage properties of bleach sprays from <33% to >99.9%. 4 We recently found that workers at Ebola treatment units in Liberia and Guinea reported increased coverage and confidence of disinfection when combining the color additive with their currently used chlorine solutions. 10 Although this color additive is suggested for use only on hard, nonporous surfaces, as is similarly recommended for chlorine disinfectants, it has potential applications in other settings like veterinarian clinics, food sanitation, and forensic restoration.…”

“…tings, as spray disinfectants have been shown to cover less than 33% of a surface or evaporate in less than 2 minutes, without reaching required wet-contact times. [3][4][5] These shortfalls severely limit the effectiveness of environmental surface cleaning as an infection prevention strategy. Less than 50% of high-touch surfaces in healthcare facilities are properly cleaned.…”

“…They also exhibit lowered surface tension that improves spray surface coverage to >99.9%. 4,10 This novel additive addresses the major shortfalls of environmental cleaning by ensuring compliance with wet-contact time, improving coverage of sprayed surfaces, and providing real-time ability to monitor cleaning techniques. This color additive is considered an adjuvant under U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines and does not require registration as a pesticide.…”

Household spraying in cholera outbreaks: Insights from three exploratory, mixed-methods field effectiveness evaluations

“…In Program A, agents were observed to systematically apply a larger volume of relatively accurately dosed 0.2 and 2.0% chlorine solution, compared to Programs B and C, where ambitious coverage objectives (20-30 houses in addition to that of the case) may have led sprayers to spend less time-and chlorine solution-at each house. Based on these differences, and a recent laboratory study where spraying chlorine was observed to achieve incomplete surface coverage [45], we hypothesize that our microbiological results reflect insufficient chlorine coverage in Programs B and C. More simply, household spraying can reduce surface contamination if chlorine solutions of appropriate concentrations are applied until surfaces are wet (i.e. contact between bacteria on surfaces and disinfectant is ensured), as reported by spraying agents and observed in Program A.…”