Over many months, we have heard the term ‘Covid secure’ being banded around in relation to workplaces, retail outlets and leisure facilities, all with the aim of getting the economy moving after lock-down.
The Government has issued fourteen guides covering all types of workplaces from offices, fleets of vehicles to home visits. Theses guides are in-depth and comprehensive while catering for different settings. However, they all have one common section: Section 5 – cleaning the workplace/space/ objects – with the clear objective “To keep the workplace clean and prevent transmission by touching contaminated surfaces.” Government also advises that cleaning agents that are effective against “enveloped viruses” should be employed.
Can just regular cleaning alone really prevent the transmission of SARS CoV-2 on high touch surfaces? In truth probably not, unless every surface is cleaned between every individual contact touch – which is just not realistic, practical, or economical.
This Government objective can however be met from another angle – the use of a permanent bond antimicrobial nano-coating. This is made from a silicon dioxide (quartz) based solution, which bonds to surfaces, forming a nano-scale ‘glass like’ covering, to which a tried and tested antimicrobial active ingredient (ammonium chloride) has been added that forms a permanently bonded layer of ‘nano spikes’.
Throughout the course of the working day, droplets and aerosols land on the surface when every touch leaves a contact or smear of infection (not always Sars CoV 2, but, amongst others , this could be intestinal E.coli or salmonella from the 67% of people who don’t wash their hands – or don’t wash them properly after using the toilet).
The ‘nano spikes’ incorporated into the coating puncture the microbes’ cell wall and membrane, causing its demise and neutralising it on contact, thus preventing it from being able to multiply or from being passed onto the next person to touch the surface. The added bonus of the physical nature of the ‘kill’ is that it prevents microbes from mutating and becoming resistant to chemicals, helping to combat the rise in drug resistant microbes.
This may all sound very futuristic and too good to be true, and scepticism is understandable in the current climate. However, before its UK launch in December 2019, Liquid Guard® antimicrobial coating had spent the previous two years being tested for its effectiveness on several fronts:-
1) Its kill effectiveness against everyday household microbes, such as Influenza A, MRSA, Listeria and more recently TGEV Coronavirus (therefore enveloped viruses), along with many others. The test certificates are all downloadable from https://www.nano-care.co.uk.
2) Its abrasion resistance to everyday cleaning and wear & tear on many types of surfaces including textiles, demonstrating its effectiveness and supporting the need to only reapply every twelve months.
3) Independent dermatological testing, being awarded a rating of ‘Excellent’.
4) Ongoing field Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) hygiene testing of treated surfaces.
Liquid Guard® Antimicrobial Coating can be applied manually (simple spray and wipe) or by fogging or misting equipment. It is a two-part application that leaves surfaces self-disinfecting after a curing period of six hours. Post application cleaning is simple, as dirt and dust can simply be removed by a hot damp cloth or, where additional surface cleaners are needed, by using a non-abrasive multi-surface cleaner with a pH between 4-9.
While meeting government guidelines for ensuring places of work are Covid secure, Liquid Guard® Antimicrobial coating can also help meet environmental targets as it does not contain SVHC, fluorine, PBT or PvB , while also reducing the need for using strong bleaches and detergents as cleaning agents.
Liquid Guard® antimicrobial coating provides facility managers and end users with an ongoing backdrop of a constant microbial kill on surfaces. This actively contributes to the prevention of transmission of infection through hand-surface-hand contact on contaminated surfaces – 24hrs a day, 365 days of the year – with one easy to apply treatment. The practical and cost benefits from reduction in upheaval for clients, staff and visitors from daily/weekly deep cleans and the ability to return to ‘normal’ cleaning regimes are highly tangible.
For more information visit www.nano-care.co.uk or to discuss Liquid Guard please e-mail Simon Mercer or call 01691 65
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