New solution can help 'permanently get rid of germs'

From: http://www.bbc.co.uk/

The solution does not wash away even after multiple hot laundry cycles, according to its inventor Dr Jason Locklin.

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A new anti-microbial treatment that can make clothing - including smelly socks - permanently germ-free has been developed by US scientists.

The spray-on solution can be applied to existing garments, according to the team from the University of Georgia.

It is designed to offer low cost protection for healthcare facilities, such as hospitals.

Chemical impregnated materials already exist, but have to be added during the manufacturing process.

The new solution can be applied to natural and synthetic textiles including clothes, home carpets, shoes and even plastics.

In a paper published in the American Chemical Society journal Applied Materials and Interfaces, Dr Jason Locklin and his colleagues state that the treatment kills a wide range of dangerous pathogens, including staph, strep, E. coli, pseudomonas and acetinobacter.

The inventor (centre) says the product can be useful in the medical field

Many of these can cause disease, break down fabrics, create stains and produce odours.

When the scientists tested the product, they found that a single application was enough to stop all further bacterial growth at up to 37 degrees Celsius.

And the solution did not degrade even after multiple hot water laundry cycles.

Medical field

Although it could potentially be used in a number of fields, its primary application is expected to be in healthcare.

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Similar technologies are limited by cost of materials, use of noxious chemicals in the application or loss of effectiveness after a few washings”

End Quote Gennaro Gama University of Georgia

According to the US federal agency Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one in every 20 hospitalised patients contracts a healthcare-associated infection.

Lab coats, scrub suits, uniforms, gowns, gloves and linens are all known to be breeding grounds for harmful microbes.

"The spread of pathogens on textiles and plastics is a growing concern, especially in healthcare facilities and hotels, which are ideal environments for the proliferation and spread of very harmful micro-organisms," said Dr Locklin.

People are also trying to get rid of dangerous microbes at home, especially when it comes to food packaging, plastic furniture and their children's bath toys.

But not all anti-bacterial products are cheap or effective.

"Similar technologies are limited by cost of materials, use of noxious chemicals in the application or loss of effectiveness after a few washings," said Gennaro Gama from the University of Georgia Research Foundation (UGARF).

"Locklin's technology uses ingeniously simple, inexpensive and scalable chemistry."

The Different Types of Hand-Washers

From: http://www.thedoghousediaries.com/?p=1657

This little black box cleans your hands with plasma gas

From: http://dvice.com/

A technology being developed by a variety of laboratories utilizes plasma gas to clean hands and kill germs quickly and effectively — even drug-resistant strains, such as MRSA, or obnoxious repeat offenders such as Athlete's Foot. (Maybe you should get your own box if you're going to be doing that, though.)

The idea of plasma gas may have you thinking twice about sticking your hand in this box, but at room temperature and pressure and in the controlled environment its in, it can get your hand — from your skin to under your fingernails — entirely sterilized in under four seconds. It's so effective, in fact, that researchers found it could get rid of said Athlete's Foot without the patient ever having to remove a sock.

The technology is geared toward hospitals, hotels and the service industry, where cleanliness is key. Plasma-cleaning itself isn't new as it's been used to sterilize medical instruments for years, but to use it on human tissue several advancements in both the way plasma gas is handled and the technology behind industrial hand sanitizers had to be made.

In the future, the plasma gas sanitizer could open up new areas elsewhere, such as being used in air conditioners to purify air. In other words, get ready to see all those ion air purifiers at Sharper Image replaced by plasma ones.

Via NYT

Your cell phone is dirtier than a toilet. Here's help!

Cell phones harbor thriving colonies of bacteria and viruses. Researchers say, for example, that cell phones are major carriers of superbugs in hospitals. Now, a new gadget helps you sterilize your phone!

It's no wonder cell phones are so disgusting. Our hands are dirty -- we shake hands with people who are sick, touch bathroom door knobs and pet the dog -- and our mouths spew whatever disease-causing viruses and bacteria are infecting our bodies. Cell phones are constantly coming into contact with both hands and mouth. When they're not, they tend to be tucked a way in pockets, a nice, warm environment that promotes the growth of microorganisms.

Researchers at Ondokuz Mayis University in Turkey tested the cell phones of 200 doctors and nurses and found that nearly all -- 95 percent -- were tainted with bacteria, with some carrying the MRSA superbug that can sicken and even kill patients and that cannot be defeated with any antibiotic. They concluded that doctors and nurses were infecting patients with their cell phones. In the US, MRSA is the cause of most hospital infections.

There are several things you can do to protect yourself and others from your own cell phone. The easiest is to frequently clean your phone with rubbing alcohol.

You can also use a new product from PureLight, a company that makes UV wants for sterilizing large surfaces. Their new portable wand is designed for cell phones.

For the best protection, you can also use one of the methods above, plus use a Bluetooth headset most of the time, to minimize the mouth and hand contact with the phone.