Disinfection in hospitals

Every healthcare facility should follow written protocols for their general cleaning procedure in order to keep the areas clean to an adequate standard. This standard is regulated by the responsible local authority. There are two important processes which should be implemented – cleaning and disinfection. Cleaning is a general removal of visual contamination from surfaces and equipment. It is performed with warm water and a neutral detergent. In hospitals, however, there is an increased risk of infection as well as spreading bacteria and viruses, so in most cases cleaning should be followed by a thorough disinfection. Disinfection is a process of reducing the amount of microorganisms to a level which causes no risk of infection to patients and staff. For this process the disinfectants to be used are listed in the responsible authority such as VAH (Verbund für Angewandte Hygiene) in Germany. One of the disinfectants specified in VAH is Anolin. The active ingredient used in Anolin is the hypochlorous acid (HOCl),
which kills of all viruses, fungi and bacteria quickly and efficiently. The main advantage of Anolin is that it contains no alcohol and is pH-neutral. Therefore, not only is Anolin a perfect disinfectant but it is also skin-friendly and causes no irritations.