Hypochlorous Acid: main applications you may find
Hypochlorous Acid is such a versatile disinfecting and cleaning solution that almost any use you may conceive is possible: it effectively removes 99.9% of viruses and bacteria and the only difference you may find in commercial products is related to different part per million (PPM) and Ph that different products may express to meet the best desired outcome, according to the application.
Anyway, composed of natural ingredients, HOCl is one of the safest solutions for cleaning of all kinds: objects and surfaces, pet and skin care, vet and medical clinics. Since it doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals like bleach, dyes or artificial colors and scents, it won’t irritate throat or eyes, it won’t leave aggressive residues or pollute the environment after being released: the product evaporates naturally, there is no need to rinse; just, as nature teaches, wait a little and let dry!
Homes, offices, restaurants, shops, gyms, manufacturing facilities, schools, and so on …everywhere there’s a need to clean, gentle degrease and sanitize there Hypochlorous can be applied, even without the need to select different products for different surfaces and that is also very convenient.
Well let’s have a look to some specific fields of application.
Skin care
Hypochlorous acid was first used in wounds cleaning and care, to remedy chemical burns and its use is ideal since it can focus on fighting bacteria where the infection is, without harming healthy tissue.
In a wider context and with different formulations, it can be used for skin wellbeing and protection, for hand hygiene and cosmetics. It can be recommended to improve skin health and hydration, to accelerate skin’s natural regenerative processes, to calm irritations, redness or itch, to soothe and rebalance the skin stressed by sun exposure, hair removal or shaving and also to effectively treat acne, eczema and psoriasis.
Being so delicate it is suited for all skins, even the most sensitive ones or babies skin.
Eye care
HOCl is also commonly used in ophthalmology and can be found in innovative eye care products. Our eyes are delicate areas, so the combination of a gentle yet potent antimicrobial agent helps fight infection, reduce inflammation and control the body’s response to injury, allowing it to heal optimally. In certain applications, like Blepharitis, a common cause of ocular irritation, HOCl has been found to lower the population of harmful bacteria without altering the ones which may be beneficial. Due to this it can be recommended to manage contact lens or clean lens cases.
Vet care
Hypochlorous acid is a molecule naturally produced within our body as a first defense in case of pathogen attack, irritation or injury.
Today, thanks to a green chemistry, it is possible to synthetize the same molecule with the same benefits offering pet parents a revolutionary hygiene and care product for dogs and cats.
Effective, non-toxic and extremely versatile, Hypochlorous Acid can be used in pet care to support wounds treatment, to soothe skin irritations and for daily hygiene of paws, eyes and ears.
In case of wounds, cuts, scratches and abrasions, it’s a valid ally to support skin’s natural regenerative processes and given its antibacterial properties it helps to maintain proper hygiene of the injured area, reducing chances of infections.
In presence of skin irritation, redness and inflammation, Hypochlorous Acid can be used to keep the injured area clean, cooled, while soothing inflammation and reducing annoying problems such as itch.
Finally, it is ideal for a gentle daily cleaning of sensitive areas such as eyes and ears. It provides topical relief in case of irritation, it removes debris and odors.
It is also suggested to clean all pets’ equipment and toys and deodorize environment where pets live.
Surface disinfection
HOCl is surprisingly effective even at low concentrations. It takes only a very small amount of HOCl to effectively kill bacteria and viruses in comparison to other bleach-based products. Despite this outstanding ability, it is also gentle on surfaces, even on the porous and delicate ones, and when no additional ingredients like surfactants or detergents are added to the final formula, HOCl solutions leave behind minimal residue. It can be used on fabrics without the danger of leaving stains.
HOCl-based solutions are also suitable for food treating, for fruit and vegetables disinfection and also to clean and sanitize surfaces that get in contact with food, as food preparation areas, fridges, flatware, bowls, cups. Not by chance these products do not require a rinse step when used.
Moreover, being natural and non-toxic it can be used to sanitize all that comes in contact with babies: toys, baby bottles, pacifiers, bibs or everything they may accidentally bring to mouth.
Air treatment
While most disinfectants are tested or studied only in their liquid form, its efficacy against pathogens has also been studied when used in aerosolized/sprayed form.
Its kill time is shorter in comparison to other compounds and the use in fog or aerosol applications demonstrates that this spray form may help HOCl molecules to be suspended in the air for a longer duration, thus being more powerful and effective
Industrial applications
Hypochlorous Acid is widely used in water treatments, catering industry, food and beverage plants, agribusiness, meat, poultry and fish industry and in fabricating medical devices or cosmetics.
In health care it can be used in clinics and medical offices for hand sterilization and hospital dispenser but also in medical clinic kitchen as a no-wash sanitizer for food preparation, where it can be very well used to clean and purify all contact surfaces and kitchenware.