GreenPlanet Scientific Blog

When "Clean" Isn't Enough: Why You Need a Strong Disinfectant

2020-09-18T09:36:00-05:00

Today, it’s more important than ever to keep your environment clean, especially as we all cope with the state of a post-pandemic world. COVID-19 has taught us the benefits of keeping our home and workplace as clean as possible as a hedge against infection, and it’s a lesson we need to keep in mind to help preserve the health and wellness of all of us going forward.

It’s obvious that it’s beneficial to keep the hard surfaces and objects around your home or place of work clean. Yet in many cases “clean” doesn’t always mean sanitized or disinfected. In fact, there are some types of pathogens that can survive in an exposed environment for longer than you would expect, even after being treated with a regular cleaning agent. This is why you need to ensure you disinfect as well as clean.

Viruses, Bacteria, and Pathogens, Oh My!

There are two very good reasons why you need both a powerful cleanser and disinfectant when it comes to taking care of environmental pathogens. The first is that there are a number of bacterial strains that are extremely hardy when it comes to surviving in the open world on surfaces. These “Gram-positive” bacteria have thick cell walls that act as strong protection against the elements for these bacteria, and this means they can survive for hours or even days on a disinfected surface.

Second, and this is perhaps even more important, is that viruses like the novel coronavirus can also survive on hard surfaces as well. While these viruses might not survive nearly as long as a Gram-positive, they can survive long enough to infect you or the people around you without ensuring these surfaces are disinfected and sanitized. With the COVID-19 pandemic showing us how much impact a viral infection can have on our global civilization, taking steps to control the spread of the coronavirus (and other viruses that are even harder to kill) makes disinfecting your environment even more crucial for the safety of everyone.

Safe in More Ways Than One

Safety is always a number-one concern with cleaners and disinfectants. That’s because there’s more than one kind of safe, after all: safe from pathogens, and also safe to use. If something’s strong enough to kill viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens, it’s often also strong enough to be toxic if ingested, inhaled, or otherwise comes into contact with people. This can certainly pose a problem in high-traffic areas or in environments where you have elderly, children or pets.

It’s not impossible to find strong disinfectants that are safe to use, however. Quarternary ammonia-based cleaners such as Emergicide offer capable cleaning and sanitizing power, with the ability to kill the most dangerous viruses and Gram-positive bacteria while also being completely safe for humans and animals when dry. There’s a reason these cleaners are used in environments like hospitals and veterinary offices!

The Final Word on Cleaning and Disinfecting

There’s no reason why your home or place of business can’t be as clean and sanitized as a high-risk, high-traffic environment like a hospital, doctor’s office, or animal care center. Make sure you use a cleanser that has strong, powerful, and safe disinfecting action and you can rest easy that your environment is safe — because there’s no such thing as being too careful in a post-COVID world.

What Is Gram Positive Bacteria and How Do We Kill It?

2020-09-14T10:37:00-05:00

If you read the labels of germ-fighting antibacterial cleaners, you’ve likely seen some interesting terms. One of the most common is “Gram positive”, and it’s used to describe a specific type of bacteria. The description is helpful; as there are anywhere upward of 10,000 types of bacteria out there in the world, and having an easy way to classify them has some major advantages! In this case, let’s take a look at what it actually means for a bacteria to be classified as Gram positive — and, more importantly, how to kill it.

What “Gram Positive” Means

As a classification, Gram positive is useful because it’s one of the two categories that all known bacteria fit into. It should come as no surprise that the other category is known as Gram negative. So it’s clear that if your bacteria isn’t one, it’s the other, but what exactly does it mean to have a Gram positive bacteria?

In a nutshell, it all comes down to how the cell membrane is structured in these different bacteria. Some have a thick layer made up of a mesh of both amino acids and sugars, called peptidoglycan; some do not. Those that do have this thicker cell wall are known as Gram positive, while those that lack it are known as Gram negative. The term itself is named after Hans Christian Gram, the Danish bacteriologist that pioneered a way to test whether there was peptidoglycan present in the cell walls of a specific bacteria or not.

Gram developed a dye that reacted with peptidoglycan, staining it purple whenever it was present and making it stand out when viewed under a microscope. Bacteria without the layer tested negative by not absorbing the stain, thus prompting the terms “Gram positive” and “Gram negative”.

Dealing With Gram Positive Bacteria

Knowing whether a specific bacteria is Gram positive or not is essential, as you can then take specific steps to kill this bacteria using the most effective methods. This is because Gram positive bacteria react differently to the environment than Gram negative ones, and it all comes down to that peptidoglycan outer layer.

While Gram positive bacteria have that thick outer layer, this ironically makes them more susceptible to being killed by antibiotics and sanitizing agents. Peptidoglycan is highly absorbent, making it easier for antimicrobial agents to take care of it. Gram negative bacteria, meanwhile, might have a thinner cell wall, but these bacteria are much less absorbent.

In other words, it’s much easier to use cleansers and sanitizing agents to get rid of harmful Gram positive bacteria than it is to do away with Gram negative bacteria. Thankfully, Gram negative bacteria have other vulnerabilities that their Gram positive counterparts lack; Gram negative bacteria, for instance, cannot survive very long on dry surfaces.

Understanding Effectiveness Against Gram Positive Bacteria

Understanding what Gram positive bacteria is and how it differs from other types of bacteria is an important step in keeping your environment clean and sanitized. Since it can survive on dry surfaces for long periods of time, it’s important to clean those surfaces regularly with a disinfectant that’s effective against these types of bacteria. Doing so can keep your environment safer and more germ-free for everyone. And what is the best cleaning disinfectant? Quats.

Quats, like Emergicide and KennelSol have proven for decades as being excellent for the various disinfection needs of business and animal care facilities, especially when thinking of Gram-positive microorganisms. Gram-positive microbes are unable to mount an adequate defense to the assault Quats place upon their cell membrane and the components inside of these bacteria. In addition, because Quats play well with other chemicals during the formulation process, they can be engineered for a broad range of effectiveness against many different types of microorganisms. They also demonstrate excellent cleaning ability – which accounts for upwards of 90% of one’s success at battling disease transmission.

10 Most Common Causes of Clogged Drains

2020-08-31T11:17:00-05:00

Whether it’s in the kitchen sink, the bathtub, or anywhere else, having a clogged drain can be a huge hassle and can cause major disruptions in your life. In fact, almost anything can lead to having a clogged drain; here are ten of the most common causes to for your drain to become clogged and how to avoid them from clogging in the first place.

1) Hair

This one’s a no-brainer, though it’s most often seen in bathtub drains from showering and in the bathroom sink from shaving or otherwise trimming hair. The best way to avoid having to call the plumber is to use a screen or drain-gate over the drain’s opening so that you can catch the hair, and throw it out, before it goes down the drain.

2) Wipes and Diapers

You would think that most parents know that you can’t flush baby wipes and diapers down the drain, but you’d be surprised how many times plumbers have to come and clear out a pipe after such an event. Disposable diapers are designed to absorb as much liquid as possible, which means they swell up and get stuck in drain pipes very easily; they’re better thrown out instead. Even “flushable” baby wipes are better just thrown out, as many septic systems simply can’t handle them either.

3) Oil and grease

It sure is easy to just pour the excess grease down the kitchen drain when you’re done cooking dinner, but this is a bad idea. Grease and oil congeal and harden as they cool, and that means your drain pipes can become narrower and narrower over time until your drainage slows to a trickle. Better to pour grease into an old coffee tin and then throw it away once it cools!

4) Feminine products

Like diapers, feminine products are incredibly absorbent. This means they’re much better off in the garbage than they are in the drain, where they’ll swell up and constrict drainage.

5) Small objects

Anything small enough to fit down the drain is still probably large enough to get caught in your pipe’s u-bend. This creates an obstruction that other small objects can be caught on as well, making the problem increasingly worse over time!

6) Food waste

Unless you have a garbage disposal, stuffing food waste down your drain is a bad idea. It can accumulate and stop up your drain very easily. Good news, though, is that food waste often reacts well to an eco friendly drain cleaner, but it can still take a few applications to get your drain flowing again. Many high-volume industrial buildings even have an automated dispensing system to keep their drains clean

7) Dirt

Dirt plus water equals mud. Wash dirty objects off outside the house, preferably with a garden hose, and then dump the excess water into your lawn to let the dirt stay where it belongs!

8) Tree roots

Tree roots can often puncture or squeeze pipes from the outside as they grow. It’s important to keep the area your drain pipes pass through on the way to your septic tank or to your sewer clear of trees for this reason.

9) Tissues/Towels/Napkins

While not as absorbent as feminine hygiene products or diapers, paper products like tissues, towels, and napkins can easily plug up a drain over time. Throw these out instead of flushing them.

10) Soap

You would think that as a cleansing agent soap would prevent clogs but many clogs contain a significant amount of soap scum mixed in. You can prevent soap clogs in the same way you prevent hair clogs in the bathroom with an additional screen over your drain.

And finally, in order to have a free flowing, odor resistant drain, a bi-weekly drain maintenance program is in order. Alpha Bio-Drain is the commercial drain cleaner and odor eliminator that acts more like a monthly car detailing wash for your pipes then a one time declogging solution. Just a few ounces every couple of weeks will maintain a fresh smell and assure smooth flowing drains. Our patent-pending, enzymatic technology is the environmentally friendly drain cleaner and odor eliminator that doesn’t act friendly. The enzymes actually produce spores that eat away at grease, hair, dirt and the hardest to contain odors.

How Long Does Skunk Smell Last?

2020-08-31T11:12:00-05:00

Ah, the great outdoors. It’s wonderful to spend time outside in the sunshine and the fresh air. Whether you like camping, hiking, or even just lounging around your backyard, you can always have a great time enjoying the Great Outdoors.

Yet even though most of our world is relatively tamed, there are some outdoor dangers that we need to consider. One of the biggest, smelliest, and most unpleasant ones is the common skunk. These little stinkers pack a punch, and if you or your pet gets sprayed, you’re in for it. Here’s what you need to know about how long skunk smell lasts and how to get rid of it.

Why Does a Skunk Spray?

As far as a defensive mechanism, you can’t get much better. A potent, smelly spray keeps just about everyone away that you don’t want getting close, and that’s exactly why skunks spray. It’s great for keeping away predators and threats… or anything that a skunk sees as one. This means that if you startle a skunk, the likelihood of you or your pet getting sprayed can be very high. This is easy to do, as skunks are mostly nocturnal and it’s hard to spot one in if you’re outside at night. Additionally, your dog is even more likely to be sprayed because, well, dogs don’t know what a skunk is until it’s too late.

How to Remove Skunk Smell

Skunk smell is notoriously hard to get rid of. The chemical compound of skunk spray is highly resistant to being broken down, and this has led to all sorts of folk remedies that supposedly reduce or remove skunk smell. Most of these simply don’t work, though, or don’t work very well. What you do need to remove skunk smell reliably is a skunk smell remover that uses a scientifically-formulated solution to target and neutralize the many different chemical compounds that make up skunk spray. Without such a solution, you’re likely to still have that unpleasant scent lingering on you, your clothes, or your pet.

The Long-Lasting Smell of Nature

Without being treated, that telltale skunk smell lasts a very long time. We’re talking weeks in some situations, which is obviously much longer than you would want it to. Thankfully, most of the time a skunk doesn’t want to spray you and will provide several warning signs before letting loose its characteristic funk. Unfortunately, sometimes you or your dog won’t see or recognize these signs for what they are, and the results can be pretty messy. It’s always better to avoid getting sprayed at all, even if that means being careful when going for walks at night and keeping your dog on a short leash. But if you end up being sprayed despite your precautions, make sure to use a scientifically-formulated skunk spray remover to nip that nasty scent right in the bud.

The Dangers of Bleach and Why It's Toxic

2020-08-31T11:05:00-05:00

How often do you check the labels of your household cleaners? You might be surprised just how many of them contain bleach. But bleach is a good thing, right? It kills germs, makes white clothes brighter, and sanitizes common areas. Not so fast. The dangers of bleach are real. Bleach is a highly hazardous chemical, and a lot of people use bleach-based products without knowing the potentially harmful effects they can have on anyone exposed.

Is bleach toxic? Well, yes. Bleach can be harmful to us humans, our pets, and our environment. When bleach is inhaled or accidentally comes in contact with the skin, it can do severe damage. Bleach is especially dangerous because it lingers. Keep in mind that bleach fumes can accumulate and remain in spaces. So, even if you open all the windows and vents in your home, using bleach can still result in adverse health effects.

Personal Health Dangers

As you probably already know, the fumes from bleach are potent. When it's inhaled, it may do a lot more damage than fill your nostrils with an unpleasant scent; it can cause various health problems. Bleach danger can wreak havoc on the skin, lungs, and eyes—the dangers of bleach increase for anyone with respiratory issues, asthma, and allergies.

Environmental Dangers

Bleach dangers don't stop at runny noses, itchy skin, migraines, and potential chemical burns. This controversial chemical can also negatively impact the environment. Manufacturers that produce chlorine bleach-based products often release it in water along with other liquid industrial waste. When bleach gets in bodies of water, the chlorine mixes with other organic compounds already in the water - creating new harmful toxins.

The toxins include dioxins, and PCDDs or "persistent organic pollutants." They got their name because it takes a few years for them to disappear from water. According to Greenpeace, dioxin is one of the "most dangerous chemicals in history and warns others that it can contribute to cancer, endocrine disorders, and other health risks."

What can we do to replace bleach?

Schools and businesses have to be continually cleaned to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. Imagine the havoc using ample amounts of bleach will have on students and employers. The GreenPlanet Scientific disinfectant for schools and businesses doesn't hurt the environment or people, while still killing harmful germs.

Cleanliness Concerns

For a lot of household cleaning jobs, bleach just isn't the right cleaning solution. Yes, it can help disinfect germ-prone areas like the toilet and bathtub, but it's pretty ineffective to eliminate odors, remove pet messes, and actually clean. Because it's not a cleaner, it's a disinfectant. Luckily, there are healthier odor eliminator alternatives too bleach.