Facing an array of cleaning products in your local home goods store can feel daunting. With so many options to choose from, consumers often go with the choice that seems most familiar. However, there are very real differences between cleaning products. Understanding these myths about alcohol-based cleaning products will help you make the right choice for home or work.
Myth #1: Alcohol-Based Cleaners are Tough On Your Skin
Some consumers worry that using a cleaning product that contains alcohol will dry out the user’s skin. In fact, the tendency for cleaning solutions to dry out skin depends entirely on their unique formulations. Certain formulations of alcohol-based cleaners are designed specifically to prevent skin dryness.
Myth #2: Alcohol-Based Cleaners Create Super Germs
There has been considerable public health concern about cleaning products creating so-called “super germs.” Certain cleaning products contain chemicals that make them anti-bacterial. Over time, bacteria that are exposed to these chemicals become resistant to their effects. This means that bacteria will evolve new mechanisms to be safe from anti-bacterial cleaning products. Super germs are particularly dangerous in health care settings, where they can affect immunocompromised patients and be difficult to eradicate.
However, biological cleaning with alcohol-based products carries no risk of creating super germs. These products immediately kill bacteria by destroying their cell walls. Thus, bacteria are not capable of evolving defense mechanisms against these cleaning products. This makes alcohol sanitizers a preferred choice in many facilities.
Myth #3: Alcohol-Based Cleaning Products are Less Effective
Unfortunately, some people mistakenly believe that an alcohol-based product is not as efficacious at killing germs as alternatives. This could not be farther from the truth. Alcohol-based cleaners of transient germs inhabiting the surfaces of objects. These are the bacteria that are most likely to cause disease.
Myth #4: Alcohol-Based Cleaning Products Contain Triclosan
Triclosan is an agent that was originally put into cleaning products as a way to kill bacteria. However, this chemical causes significant environmental damage. Furthermore, some evidence in non-human animals has shown that triclosan may be toxic. In contrast to many anti-bacterial cleaning products, alcohol-based cleaners do not contain triclosan. This makes them very safe for home use or environmental infection control.
Myth #5: All Alcohol-Based Cleaners Are the Same
Development of an alcohol-based cleaner is not as simple as mixing pure alcohol with water. Rather, these cleaning products contain a specially formulated blend of ingredients designed to kill germs and cleanse surfaces. Not all alcohol-based cleaning products are created the same. For example, EcoShield’s proprietary line of cleaning products was designed to have maximum efficacy against germs while protecting human health.
EcoShield has the best alcohol-based cleaning products in the business. Our proprietary line of cleaning solutions can tackle the toughest germs. These cleaners are gentle on skin and the environment while killing dangerous pathogens.