How UltraPure is Better than Industrial Hand Soap

When we developed CleanTech^® Automated Handwashing Stations we recognized that there were too many variables involving regular industrial hand soap to ensure more than 99.9% pathogen removal with our new hygiene technology. We needed a hygiene solution that worked quicker and better than industrial hand soap and we needed it to be backed by science. That’s why we developed UltraPure, and had it tested in over 50 clinical studies to prove that is the most effective way to remove pathogens with a CleanTech^® system.

Does industrial hand soap for food processing have clinical validation?

Industrial hand soap does not have food processing clinical validation because it’s impossible to quantify the efficacy of hand soap given the simple fact that everyone manually washes their hands differently. A proper manual hand wash takes time to properly scrub and soak the hands, however as we’ve probably noticed in many public bathrooms most people do not do this process carefully. Amount of soap used also plays a key role in how effective a hand wash is which can make efficacy testing harder due to the overall variability.

Another factor is the type of soap used. Many places try to save on costs and purchase the most affordable option for their hand soap. Foam soaps for example can be less effective than other liquid soaps and require more of the product to properly wash the hands.

How does Meritech test the efficacy of its hygiene solutions?

We worked in partnership with an independent FDA-certified laboratory to get the most accurate and unbiased results possible. We used what is called the “Glove Juice Method”, defined by both the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and ASTM International (American Society for Testing and Materials), to put our CleanTech^®Automated Handwashing Systems and UltraPure to the test.

This method involves a subject donning sterile gloves and a then a solution is added to the gloves. This solution is then tested in order to measure the concentration of pathogens present on the surface of the skin. Next, the test subject washes their hands, and performs the same steps to don sanitized gloves and fill with the sampling solution. The post wash concentration is then compared to the first sample in order to quantitatively measure pathogen reduction.

How effective is UltraPure?

We proved that UltraPure provided a mean reduction of 99.9% of pathogens, including E. coli and Feline Calicivirus (a surrogate for Norovirus) when used with the CleanTech Automated Handwashing Stations. These efficacy studies proved unequivocally that CleanTech^®with UltraPure results in greater pathogen reduction than a manual hand wash.