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How does your Covid19 cleaning plan compare to others? Disinfected surfaces are clean until they are contaminated. That could be seconds, minutes, hours, but usually, not days. Many industries do not have the luxury of time or budget to constantly disinfect round-the-clock. With viruses living on surfaces for up to 3 days, surfaces become a point of transmission.
This is where antimicrobial coatings (AMCs) come in. When applied to clean, properly disinfected surfaces, they create a protective self-disinfecting layer. Industry leaders in mass transit, school districts, senior living & health providers, churches and airlines have adopted AMCs into their disinfection protocols.
SCHOOLS: “As far as we’re concerned, we’re never going to be able to do things the way we used to,” said Keith Watkins, director of facilities for the City School District of New Rochelle — once a hot spot for the virus.
Watkins, also president of the National School Plant Management Association, said he began researching cleaning products that leave an antimicrobial coating on surfaces and promise to keep bacteria, mold and other microorganisms from returning for up to 90 days.
Such precautions, he said, will be needed because it’s not practical to clean and disinfect classrooms and surfaces every time a student sneezes or coughs. Full article - New Rochelle School District
“To continue to lead in the area of technology used to clean schools, The City School District of New Rochelle just invested in “Antimicrobial Coating Technology.” This will set us apart nationally." - Dr. Laura Feijóo, Superintendent New Rochelle School District
Illinois School District discuss how they integrate AMCs into their safe reopening. “It is absolutely imperative we do all we can to ensure our facilities are as clean & protected against viruses & bacteria as possible..for an extended period of time.”
MASS TRANSIT: Because the coronavirus is known to live on flat surfaces, like the steel rails found on trains, for up to 3 days at a time, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority said it was testing antimicrobial disinfectant multi-step solutions that provide a protective barrier against contamination. MTA chairman Patrick J. Foye, at a news conference, said the authority is testing “multiple products from multiple companies” that say that can render microorganisms on surfaces inactive for 30 to 90 days with one application. Full article - MTA NYC
“Antimicrobial biostats are materials that create a protective layer on surfaces and prevent microbes from growing.” NYC Metro Transit Authority applied to surfaces in train cars and buses, stations, and crew quarters. Read More
“With the many challenges that transit authorities face today, we’re focused on doing our part to help protect the health and safety of riders on American Seating-outfitted transit vehicles,” said American Seating Director of Marketing Doug Oswald. Full article - American Seating - mass transit
Toronto GoTransit was one of the first mass transit systems to employ a multi-step disinfection protocol, featuring the application of AMCs on all their vehicles. Toronto Transit Authority applied AMCs to all interior surfaces.
“This proven technology helps create a healthier and safer environment for commuters, travelers and employees as it prevents the spread of
influenza and other viruses...”
Full article - Toronto SunDenver Rapid Transit leveraged AMCs recently, saying,“the antimicrobial coating is not a conventional disinfectant, but it can complement the effectiveness of existing cleaning and disinfection methods. It is proven to be effective against any microorganism with outer cell membranes.”
AIRLINES: The airline industries were extremely hard hit. Southwest Airlines was determined to overhaul cleaning practices across their full fleet. This video describes new practices, specifically employing antimicrobial coatings after a full disinfection has been administered.
"Our initial testing went so well that we quickly moved to implement the technology” said Landon Nitschke, Southwest employee.
"This is a very different technology and application than some of the “fogging” treatments you might have seen in other public spaces.” He describes AMC as “super primer”. Full article - Southwest Airlines new cleaning protocol
SENIOR LIVING: Congregate care facilities, like housing authorities, nursing homes, group homes and independent living homes focus primarily on our high-risk populations and face an especially urgent challenge. “At all of NYCHA’s approximately 2,200 buildings, we are also applying an EPA-registered, antimicrobial surface protectant...to high-touch surfaces every 30 days, after sanitizing these areas with disinfectant." Learn More - NY Housing Authority
CHURCHES: Places of worship cater to a majority of Covid-19 high-risk populations. They face unique challenges in bringing their membership back to their establishments. Many throughout RI, CT & MA are leveraging antimicrobial coatings to supplement their daily protocols. Watch a 5 minute video to learn how to integrate AMCs into your facility.
Antimicrobial coatings form a strong bond with the surfaces it is applied to. Normal cleaning and disinfecting will not remove the product. In fact, normal cleaning of treated surfaces removes dirt, dust and dead microbes which could cover the treatment and limit its ability to render microorganisms inactive. Antimicrobial coatings cannot be rubbed off or removed unless aggressive abrasives are used.
Antimicrobial coatings are organosilanes. Silanes were developed by Dow Corning Corporation in the 1970’s and are used as bonding agents. They can be combined with other molecules and used to permanently bond these molecules to a surface. Antimicrobial coatings combine the silane (which creates the bond with surfaces its applied to) with a quaternary amine (the key component in disinfectants). The quaternary amine (commonly known as quats) is the “sword” in any antimicrobial coating. Unlike traditional disinfectants which have a very short effectiveness, antimicrobial coatings bond to the surface and remain in place killing microbes 24/7. Learn more
