Compatibility

Chemicals must be compatible with each other to work.

Given how obvious that statement is, it’s surprising to see how often products can inactivate each other. It’s very common in the infection control field which raises some concern.

By way of example, many antimicrobial hand washes utilise chemicals with a positive charge. This is mainly because most bacteria have an outer negative charge, so it’s more likely the chemical will come into contact with the bacteria.

In contrast, many cleansing hand washes contain chemicals with a negative charge, mainly because they are cheaper.

If the cleansing hand wash has been used before the antimicrobial wash, who knows if the latter has any activity left against bacteria? Few people in hospitals have great expertise in this field of chemistry, so it’s unreasonable to hope they will use this knowledge in their busy lives.

The same process of incompatibility is prevalent in products used on surfaces. Some are positive and some negative. When they’re mixed and one is a disinfectant, the microbes become the winner. The biggest losers are the people who die from infection when the active substance which was meant to be protecting them is inactivated.

The real problem arises when the purchasing process and user instructions are unaware of chemical compatibility. Perhaps worse is when the establishment’s professionals show complete disregard even when they know. Even now, in 2020, you can see incompatible products above the hand basin in NHS hospitals.

There is an easy way of avoiding this trap. Purchase and use a brand which provides one of everything you need; a brand that can be relied upon to ensure all the products are compatible with each other. NewGenne achieves that by having the same chemical technology in all the relevant products.

It’s easy if you care enough.