Hypochlorous Acid, The Magic Chemical You Didn’t Know You Needed!

If you’re a business owner like me you’ve probably noticed your bill for sanitary products skyrocket. The obvious cause for this influx is the coronavirus and its potential infectibility on surfaces (although,  the jury is still out on this). In addition, you likely experienced frustration due to temporary shortages both online and in stores. Demand for hand sanitizers has risen exponentially. Furthermore, it looks like it’s not going to change any time soon! Therefore I want to introduce you to something called, Hypochlorous Acid.

Hypochlorous Acid is an alternative that is;

• Safe
• Cost-effective
• Strong enough to kill viruses on contact

Not All Sanitizers Are Created Equal

Now, it’s important to note that there are strict guidelines when it comes to hand sanitizers. For example, according to the Health Canada website, hand sanitizer must contain at least 60%-70% alcohol in order for it to be effective. (1)

But here’s the problem.

High alcohol content can be fatal. For instance, if a child was to get their hands on it and ingest it. In fact, according to data from the Canadian Poison Control Centre;

“the number of reported incidents related to hand sanitizer has increased in 2020 compared to 2019. Up to 4.5-fold higher on a month-to-month basis.” (2)

In addition, alcohol based disinfectants can also be corrosive to both materials and human skin over time. I personally learned this after months of use on my clinical equipment, ugh!

So, what if there was an alternative? Something that didn’t require household toxic ingredients such bleach?

The Power Of Hypochlorous Acid – HOCL

One day my dentist and I were speaking and he mentioned a disinfectant that I had never heard of before. It was called, Hypochlorous Acid or HOCL. What sparked my interest is how relatively easy and cheap it is to make. Yet, still strong enough for dental professionals to disinfect their equipment. In fact, HOCL is a powerful oxidant and is 100 times more efficient at killing bacteria than chlorine bleach or sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl).

The Facts About HOCL

At first, I was skeptical. However, why would my dentist lie to me I thought to myself? As usual when I hear something that is too good to be true, I decided to look into this revelation further.

First off I needed to learn about the chemistry involved. Second, it’s safety and effectiveness. Then, lastly, whether public health agencies approved its use to kill bacteria and viruses. Especially it’s effectiveness on the coronavirus.

I was surprised at the amount of data and research involving hypochlorous acid. Not to mention all the research specifically focused on coronaviruses. (4)  HOCL had actually been used in the medical field since World War 1! Even the American Environmental Protection Agency as well as Health Canada recognize that;

“hypochlorous acid may be applied to: Food-contact surfaces in public eating places, dairy-processing equipment, and food-processing equipment and utensils.” (5)

OK, I’m Convinced, But How Do I Make It???

Make sure you read PART 2 of this article for how to make this powerful disinfectant.

Disclaimer: The content of this article is for informational use only. Do your own due diligence before investing in any of the products mentioned. It is possible to generate higher concentrations of solution by running multiple cycles of electrolysis which can significantly increase the potency of the end-product.

References:

1. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/prevention-risks/cleaning-disinfecting.html
2. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/disinfectants/covid-19/information-manufacturers/hand-sanitizers-containers-labelling-requirements.html
3. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/drugs-health-products/disinfectants/covid-19.html
4. http://ecoloxtech.info/research-search-display?search=ecoloxtech
5. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CFR-2005-title40-vol23/xml/CFR-2005-title40-vol23-sec180-940.xml