Five Applications and Uses of Hypochlorous Acid
Hypochlorous acid (also called HOCl) is an increasingly used and very powerful biocidal disinfectant and sanitiser with a number of applications and uses. Coler Medical PPE investigates five applications and uses of hypochlorous acid in our latest article.
1) Hand and body sanitiser
A very popular use of hypochlorous acid is as a natural hand and body sanitiser, (such as products from our MIST-IFY sanitiser range). The disinfectant qualities of HOCl make it very powerful as it kills viruses, bacteria, and pathogens upon contact. Therefore, particularly since COVID-19, sanitisers have become increasingly popular with many venues, with some mandating use before entry is allowed.
It’s also worth mentioning that HOCl is not just effective on hands (it’s often called hand sanitiser) but is just as effective across the entire body. Infact it’s so safe that HOCl could even be safely drunk.
2) Surface preparation
Hypochlorous acid is fast-emerging as a viable cleaning product and an alternative to bleach. HOCl does not need to be rinsed away from the surface, is kind to skin, leaves no adverse environmental footprint, causes no surface corrosion, and does not even require gloves to be worn.
Use HOCl on many surfaces including kitchens (e.g., before food preparation) and bathrooms. In commercial settings, HOCl can be used in an infinite number of settings with good examples being restaurants, hospitals, cinemas, staff rooms, etc.
3) Wound and burns treatment
Hypochlorous acid has been used for over a century for wounds and burns treatment. Popular with field medical staff in the first world war, hypochlorous acid is ideal for use in the following types of applications:
- Antisepsis – as a recognised powerful disinfectant, hypochlorous acid is used as an antiseptic to prevent infection spread
- Burns – a major risk of burns is infection, as microorganisms have a route inside the body through damaged skin. Hypochlorous acid kills these microorganisms upon contact and massively reduces infection risk
- Operating theatres – hypochlorous acid is often used as a disinfectant and infection repellent in open wounds in operating theatres. Sometimes these wounds pre-exist and/or are surgically created (e.g., through incisions)
- Veterinary practises – as well as suitable for wounds and burns treatment in humans, hypochlorous acid is also widely used for the same purposes in veterinary practises
4) Water treatment
There is a rapidly growing market for HOCl for various forms of water treatment. HOCl can be used in treating swimming pools, and in water purification (such as converting industrial wastewater into pure drinking water). Being easy to store, and distribute as well as its use as a microbicide make HOCl very appealing to the water processing industry.
5) Crop and flower growing
Especially due to its anti-fungal qualities, HOCl is extensively used in crop and flower growing. HOCl powerfully disinfects crops and other cultivations upon contact and has storage, transportation, and ease-of-use benefits similar to those desired by the water processing industry.
Coler Medical PPE – Quality Suppliers of Hypochlorous Acid
As you can see hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is a powerful disinfectant with a multitude of applications and uses. So, why not buy some of our instant sanitiser for your home, office, factory, hospital, or other settings?
Coler Medical PPE are easy to contact, just call us on +44 (0) 1827 794 294 or if you prefer, send an email instead to info@colermedical-ppe.co.uk.
For further research we recommend reading our two glossary of terms articles:
https://colermedical-ppe.com/sanitiser-and-ppe-products-glossary-of-terms-part-one/
https://colermedical-ppe.com/sanitiser-and-ppe-products-glossary-of-terms-part-two/