20/09/2021
EXPERTS AND MEDIA PORTALS WEIGH IN ON HYPE SURROUNDING NANO SANITIZER SPRAY GUNS AND ITS SAFETY. CONSUMERS HAVE THE RIGHT TO BE CONCERNED!
We cannot deny the hype of disinfectant products and nano spray guns that have flooded the market recently (Stay Safe Enterprise is one of the start-ups that bloomed from the demand for these products), There were bound to be some concerns raised from experts and consumers from the market. It was always a question of when it would arise rather than how or what.
With the recent publications in numerous media outlets and circular posts going around the realms of social media, there has been rising concerns about the safety of the use of nano sprayer guns and their efficacy against battling Covid-19. And these concerns are justifiable looking at the amount of money businesses and consumers have spent purchasing such equipment and solutions to provide a “safer” environment for their household, co-workers, and customers. Do these products actually work?
Background of Stay Safe Enterprise and How it came about.
Stay Safe Enterprise was founded by these questions asked by our founder, Damien Lim, who is the Director of Manufacturing of a local manufacturing plant. The idea started off with a thought of “Why is it so expensive to disinfect our facility?” and “What is actually in these solutions, and do they work?”. There were two ends of the spectrum of the products available on the market, there were products sold by trusted brands (which were expensive) and the other were the products that were generally unknown products which barely published any of the information at all. Some of these products were making unrealistic claims for their products, but the costs of disinfecting our facility using the branded disinfectants or professionals on a long term was out of the question for a SME like us. It would have been the same for any small or medium enterprises or business owners that are looking to reopen after the lockdown.
This resulted in the formation of Stay Safe Enterprise. Founded with the intention to help consumers make informed purchases and get the most value out of their money spent. With the resources and technical know-hows we have, we try to educate consumers through sharing and conversations that will help you better understand about your purchases.
“We do the research, so you know best!”
Recent FAQ about Nano Mist Spray Guns and Disinfectant Liquids
1. What are Nano Mist Sprayers?
Nano Mist Sprayers are electrical battery-operated sprayers that have gained popularity recently as a method of disinfecting surfaces easily. There are many popular models in the market mostly from China such as the K5, K6X, Nano Sprayer 800ml and many more that generally functions the same. The internal circuits from model to model are quite similar and they all serve their purpose to “spray” fine mists over a surface to spread the solutions evenly over a large area.
Which is the best?
I believe they all function similarly and serve the same purpose. To the best of my knowledge, these are all OEM products and the Model Name (e.g. K5) represents the design of the casing. You would notice the method of operation and small parts from gun to gun may differ.
2. Do Nano Mist Sprayers kill Covid-19?
No. Nano Mist Sprayers by itself has no other function besides being an equipment for delivering a solution through mechanical spraying. There has been a lot of false claims, especially on online marketplaces like Shopee and Lazada, that claims these machines can kill Covid-19. Sellers need to take more responsibility in the information marketed to consumers through their online stores.
Points to note :
- The blue lights on the machines are NOT UV lights, as UV lights are not recommended for consumer use as it may be carcinogenic and may have adverse side effects.
- The spray mist coming from these machines are not “Nano” in sized, as commonly claimed in the name of the products. Actual nano particles cannot be seen by the naked eye. The size of the particle of the spray does not increase the efficacy of the products and its effectiveness.
3. What is the difference between Disinfectants and Sanitizers?
These two terms are commonly used interchangeable. According to the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, these have different definitions, where sanitizing lowers the number of germs on a surface or object to a safe level, and disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects.
In Malaysia, we commonly use the term sanitizer for those products that we carry around in our bags and use to sanitize our hand or spray on small surfaces. Those in the markets are commonly alcohol-based products.
4. Are disinfectants and sanitizers required to registered with the Ministry of Health or NPRA?
No. Surface disinfectants like the StaySafe products are not required to be registered or reviewed by the NPRA. However, there are some guidelines provided for these products that should be followed and there is also an option for Voluntary Registration of the products.
StaySafe products adheres to the requirements in the guidelines, and we are working towards the voluntary registration of the products in the near future.
Sanitizers or products used on external skin surfaces requires a notification with the cosmetics department of the Ministry of Health. This does not mean that the MOH have reviewed the efficacy or the safety of the product, this just means that the authorities have been notified of the sale of these products in the market.
Disinfectant liquids do not require a “NOT No.”
5. Disinfectant products are not tested for efficacy against Covid-19
True. Most disinfectant products in the market are not tested for their efficacy against the Covid-19 virus strains. A major setback on why products are not tested for its efficacy against the virus is mainly due to the costs involved for a virus efficacy test.
There are guidelines released by the NPRA (Malaysia) and National Environmental Agency (Singapore), that contains a list of active ingredients and its concentration levels and contact times that are effective against the coronavirus.
6. What are the differences between the disinfectant liquids? I thought only alcohol can kill viruses.
There are hundreds if not thousands of ingredients in the market that are considered as effective anti-microbial agents. They all have their strength and weaknesses, some have a broader spectrum of microbial coverage than others, different kill times and log reductions, some that may be stronger against different type of germs, some may be less sensitizing than others, some with limitations like pH values, UV exposure and sensitivity to other materials.
Alcohol is commonly recommended because of its effectiveness and large microbial coverage with very fast kill time of the contaminants. It is also excellent because of it’s fast drying effect which doesn’t require you to rinse or wipe off any residue.
A common misconception is that only alcohol is effective in neutralizing these germs. There are other active ingredients like hydrogen peroxide (bleach), Benzalkonium Chloride (StaySafe), Chloroxylenol (Dettol), Hypochlorous Acid (DFENZE), Silver Ions (Nano Silver) that are equally effective against coronavirus if used correctly in the recommended concentrations and contact times.
7. Can I use my disinfectant with any nano sprayer?
Most nano mist sprayers will be able to spray any water based aqueous solutions without a problem. Do note however that some ingredients may not be compatible with the type of plastic used for the storage tank of the equipment and some mixtures may have chemical reactions that release v***r that can cause the tank to explode.
Filling the storage tank of your nano sprayer with an alcohol solution will cause the plastic bottle to harden and crack over time. Products like Silver Ions and Hypochlorous Acid may have sensitivity to UV or heat and may have a reaction in the transparent bottle of your nano sprayer. Ingredients like hydrogen peroxide and chlorine tablets may have a chemical reaction and release vapours within the storage bottle which may result in pressure build up causing the tank to explode.
When using such disinfectants, it is recommended to only pour in the amount required for that disinfecting process and clean out the bottle after use.
8. Are disinfection liquids safe to use? Is it hazardous to our health and environment?
A properly manufactured disinfectant liquid should have clear instructions and warnings labelled on the product. It is the responsibility of the manufacturers to provide you a Safety Data Sheet when requested for the product to better understand the risks, precautions, and hazards of the product.
Most anti-microbial ingredients are hazardous to our health and have adverse effects to the environment in their concentrated forms. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase “Ready-to-Use” products that are already formulated to the best performing dosages that has good efficacy and is safe the consumer use and the environment.
When purchasing from reliable brands or factories, these materials are handled in a responsible and controlled environment. The risks of the by-products and concentrates being disposed into the environment is better controlled than products produced from homes or backyard facilities. The risks of some of these materials being dumped in the ocean or drainage system can have long term effects to the soil and aquatic life.
9. Aren’t disinfectants with higher actives better?
The risks of any health or adverse effects increase with the concentrations of these ingredients within a product. For products intended for consumer use, it is best to check with the manufacturer what are the recommended dosages for its intended purposes.
StaySafe Multi-Surface Liquid Disinfectant, for example, uses a concentration of 0.10% active of personal care grade Benzalkonium Chloride (BKC) in the formulation of the product. The recommended concentration of efficacy against the coronavirus is 0.05% concentration as set by the ministry’s guidelines. The maximum permissible level of BKC for “leave-on” use in personal care products is 0.10% concentration. Therefore, the StaySafe disinfectant is safe to our skin, hands and body parts. However, we do not recommend for this product to be sprayed at your face as contact with eyes should be avoided.
10. Why does you use Benzalkonium Chloride (BKC) instead of other active ingredients?
We started using benzalkonium chloride because of its stability and is rather cost effective at disinfecting large areas and surfaces. Although not as effective as some other anti-microbial agents, BKC is generally easy and safe to handle and is stable to external factors like temperature, UV, packaging compatibility, pH and most other materials. It is only incompatible with anionic surfactants which is why it is seldom used in detergents.
11. Are disinfectants food grade?
Most disinfectants are suitable at sanitizing and disinfecting your food preparation areas at the recommended concentrations and under its normal intended uses. We do not recommend spraying disinfectant solutions directly onto food. In the case of the StaySafe Liquid Disinfectant, at low dosages and accidental exposure, it is unlikely that the chemical will reach the upper limit that may cause any issues for the food.
If you’re using other disinfectant liquids, please check with your manufacturer.
12. How do I use a disinfectant and how long should I leave the surface after disinfecting?
Always make sure that the surface is cleaned before disinfecting. Spread an even layer of disinfectant liquid over the surface (this is where the nano sprayers become very useful at speeding up this process). The rule of thumb for any disinfectant solution (yes, even alcohol) is to leave the surface for 10 minutes.
13. What is the best disinfectant/sanitizer to use?
The most effective way of disinfecting your hands is by washing with any soap for a period of 30 seconds. It will break down the protein walls of the virus and kill any germs on your hands. Also abiding by the SOPs, by going out only when necessary and maintaining social distancing when out will be the best method of prevention.
For surfaces that cannot be washed, such as parcels from deliveries, food packaging, counter tops, utensils, etc, you can use disinfecting products like StaySafe Multi-Surface Liquid Disinfectant or any other products in the market.
Just be sure to read the warning labels, as products like bleaches in the wrong concentrations should not be sprayed on body parts and food, etc.
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Disclaimer : This information published here is offered in good faith to provide a brief summary of our knowledge, understanding and guidance in regards to the topic. The information contained here has been compiled from the sources considered by Stay Safe Enterprise to be dependable and is accurate to the best of our knowledge. If you have any questions or noticed any errors in our interpretation of the topic, please contact us directly at [email protected]
