CLEANING COMPOSITION

Abstract

A cleaning and disinfecting composition comprises a long-chain alkyl polyamine, such as dodecyl dipropylene triamine; a long-chain quaternary ammonium salt, such as N,N-didecyl-N,N-dimethylammonium chloride; and a metal carbonate salt, such as potassium carbonate, all in aqueous solution. A sequestering agent, a long-chain alkyl polyethoxylate, an alkanolamine and an anti-corrosive agent may also be present. The composition has a pH at least 11 when diluted to an in-use concentration. It may be used to clean and disinfect hard surfaces, such as medical, dental and surgical implements, walls, floors, sinks and hard furnishing surfaces, or soft surfaces such as bedding, upholstery or clothing. The composition is effective as a virucide, a sporicide, a bacteriocide, a fungicide, and against yeasts and moulds, without harming the substrate cleansed.

Claims

1. An aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition comprising a long-chain alkyl polyamine compound, a long-chain quaternary ammonium salt, and a metal carbonate salt, wherein the composition has a pH in use of at least 11.

2. An aqueous composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein said long-chain alkyl polyamine compound comprises a long-chain alkyl triamine compound.

3. An aqueous composition as claimed in either claim 1 or claim 2, wherein said long-chain alkyl polyamine compound comprises a compound having the general formula R.sup.1—N((CH.sub.2).sub.mNH.sub.2)(CH.sub.2).sub.nNH.sub.2, where R.sup.1 is a linear or branched alkyl chain comprising at least eight carbon atoms, and each of m and n equals 2, 3 or 4.

4. An aqueous composition as claimed in claim 3, wherein the long-chain alkyl polyamine compound has the general formula R.sup.1—N((CH.sub.2).sub.mNH.sub.2).sub.2, i.e. m equals n.

5. An aqueous composition as claimed in claim 4, wherein m equals three.

6. An aqueous composition as claimed in any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the long chain R.sup.1 moiety comprises a linear or branched alkyl chain having between ten and sixteen carbon atoms, optionally twelve.

7. An aqueous composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said long-chain quaternary ammonium salt comprises a quaternary ammonium compound having two long-chain alkyl groups, each comprising at least eight carbon atoms.

8. An aqueous composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein said long-chain quaternary ammonium salt comprises a compound having the general formula R.sup.2R.sup.3R.sup.4R.sup.5N.sup.+X.sup.−, where each of R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 is a linear or branched alkyl chain comprising at least eight carbon atoms, and each of R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 is either a methyl or an ethyl group.

9. An aqueous composition as claimed in claim 8, wherein R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are identical alkyl chains.

10. An aqueous composition as claimed in either claim 8 or claim 9, wherein each of R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 comprises between ten and sixteen carbon atoms, optionally twelve.

11. An aqueous composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising an alkali metal carbonate, such as potassium carbonate and/or sodium carbonate.

12. An aqueous composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, further comprising a sequestering agent.

13. An aqueous composition as claimed in claim 12, wherein said sequestering agent comprises an N-carboxylato-substituted amino acid salt.

14. An aqueous composition as claimed in either claim 12 or claim 13, wherein the sequestering agent comprises a his-N-carboxylato-substituted amino acid salt.

15. An aqueous composition as claimed in either claim 13 or claim 14, wherein said amino acid comprises a dicarboxylic acid, optionally glutamic acid.

16. An aqueous composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, also comprising a long-chain alkyl polyethoxylate compound.

17. An aqueous composition as claimed in claim 16, wherein said long-chain alkyl polyethoxylate comprises a linear or branched alkyl chain having between ten and twenty carbon atoms, optionally sixteen to eighteen carbon atoms.

18. An aqueous composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, also comprising an alkanolamine.

19. An aqueous composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising an anti-corrosive agent, optionally benzotriazole.

20. An aqueous composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ratio of the long-chain alkyl polyamine compound to the long-chain quaternary ammonium salt is between 2:1 and 1:2 parts by weight.

21. An aqueous composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ratio of the long-chain alkyl polyamine compound to the metal carbonate salt is between 4:1 and 1.5:1 parts by weight.

22. An aqueous composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the ratio of the long-chain quaternary ammonium salt to the metal carbonate salt is between 3:1 and 1:1 parts by weight.

23. An aqueous composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, comprising a laundry treatment composition, optionally a composition adapted to be administered to textile materials during a rinse cycle.

24. A method of cleaning and disinfecting a substrate, comprising the steps of providing a cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, and applying it to the substrate.

25. A method of cleaning as claimed in claim 24, wherein said substrate comprises a hard surface.

26. A method of cleaning as claimed in either claim 24 or claim 25, wherein said substrate comprises a hard furnishing surface, such as a bedstead, a cabinet, a basin, a toilet, an operating table or the like.

27. A method of cleaning as claimed in either claim 24 or claim 25, wherein said substrate comprises a ceiling, wall or floor surface.

28. A method of cleaning as claimed in either claim 24 or claim 25, wherein said substrate comprises a medical device, a medical instrument, a surgical implement, a dental tool or the like.

29. A method of cleaning as clamed in claim 24, wherein said substrate comprises a soft material.

30. A method of cleaning as claimed in claim 29, wherein said soft material comprises a furnishing material, such as curtaining, carpeting, bedding, upholstery or the like.

31. A method of cleaning as claimed in claim 29, wherein said soft material comprises clothing.

32. A method of cleaning as claimed in any one of claims 29 to 31, comprising a laundering method, the cleaning and disinfecting composition being applied in a rinsing/conditioning step.

Description

[0058] An embodiment of the present invention will now be more particularly described by way of example.

[0059] A first cleansing composition concentrate was made up, containing the following components per 100 kilograms (% w/w):

TABLE-US-00001 Water 54.075 kg   Dodecyl dipropylene triamine 12.0 kg  Tetrasodium N,N-bis(carboxylatomethyl)- 7.2 kg L-glutamate N,N-didecyl-N,N-dimethylammonium 8.7 kg chloride C.sub.16/C.sub.18 fatty alcohol polyglycol ether 5.0 kg Potassium carbonate 5.0 kg Monoethanolamine 8.0 kg Benzotriazole 0.025 kg 

[0060] The composition appeared as a clear colourless liquid with a pH of 12.6.

[0061] Dodecyl dipropylene triamine is a biocidally active material. Tetrasodium N,N-bis(carboxylatomethyl)-L-glutamate is a sequestering agent used to soften water by complexing calcium ions. It is believed to be readily biodegradable, possibly due to its glutamate skeleton, unlike conventional sequestering agents such as EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid). N,N-didecyl-N,N-dimethylammonium chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt (or “quat”) with detergent and disinfectant properties. Fatty acid polyglycol ethers are used as wetting agents and dispersants. Monoethanolamine is used as a buffering agent and also has wetting properties. Benzotriazole is a preservative which also has some anti-corrosive properties.

[0062] The above concentrate is used diluted with water to 10% of the above concentrations, at which point it has a pH of around 11.7, or even diluted a hundredfold to 1% w/w, at which point it has a pH of around 11.2.

[0063] At these working concentrations, the above composition is found not to be hazardous to human health. Tests have also shown that the composition is biodegradable in the short to medium term. Conventional compositions (which usually contain sequestering agents such as EDTA or NTA) may require specific labelling, as well as specific precautions to avoid them being washed into watercourses or the like. However, the above composition is found not to be persistent in the environment and it is believed that no such labelling will be required. (Good housekeeping principles would still discourage discharge into watercourses, but any unplanned releases would be unlikely to cause significant problems).

[0064] Testing on cleansing hard surfaces (including medical and surgical devices and instruments) and soft surfaces (including textiles and soft furnishing materials) contaminated with bacteria, viruses, fungi and even spores has shown a wide spectrum of efficacy.

[0065] Testing has been carried out against each of the following EN (European Norm) standardised tests for cleaning and disinfection: [0066] EN1275 (applicable for fungi and yeasts); [0067] EN1650 (applicable for fungi and yeasts); [0068] EN1276 (applicable for bacteria, fungi, yeast and spores); [0069] EN13727 (applicable for bacteria in the presence of blood); [0070] EN13697 (applicable for bacteria and fungi—this test is carried out on actual samples of surfaces to be cleaned, rather than in the test-tube); [0071] EN14347 (applicable for spores—this is a particularly severe test as the spores are aged for four weeks before application of the test disinfecting medium, and are hence much tougher than those encountered in real life conditions); [0072] EN14348 (applicable for TB, a mycobacterium); [0073] EN14476 (applicable against viruses—test must include polio virus, the hardest RNA virus to destroy outside the body, and adeno virus, the hardest DNA virus to destroy outside the body); and [0074] EN13704 (applicable for spores).

[0075] All these tests were passed with ease. Specifically: [0076] EN1275: passed in 1 minute. [0077] EN1650: passed in 1 minute. [0078] EN1276: passed in 1 minute. [0079] EN13727: passed in 1 minute. [0080] EN13697: bacteria: passed in 5 minutes fungi/yeast: passed in 15 minutes. [0081] EN14347: passed in 1 minute, even with fully aged spores. [0082] EN14348: passed in 1 minute, test requirement is 60 minutes. [0083] EN14476: passed with a log 5 (100,000 fold) reduction in 5 minutes; test requirement is a log 4 (10,000 fold) reduction in 60 minutes. [0084] EN13704: passed in 2 minutes; test requirement is 60 minutes.

[0085] The individual components of the composition have been found not to have sporicidal effects, but the combination of the long-chain triamine and the quaternary ammonium salt, at the pH ranges used, appears to be sufficient to penetrate the tough outer layer of spores and kill them. Existing cleansing media have only had significant effect once spores have become vegetative bacteria, potentially leaving unharmed spores as a long-term reservoir of contamination.

[0086] The composition is also effective against so-called “naked” viruses, which are particularly resistant to existing disinfecting media. Examples of such viruses are polio, adeno, norovirus and canine parvovirus.

[0087] The dodecyl dipropylene triamine biocide used in the above composition has no effect on its own when tested against the polio virus. In the standard test, the above composition passes within five minutes, against a requirement allowing sixty minutes, indicating high effectiveness under realistic conditions of use.

[0088] A further benefit of the above composition over existing cleansing and disinfecting media is that it is not inactivated by organic soiling. Most or all existing media are substantially inactivated by the presence of blood, making it difficult to clean surgical instruments effectively, for example. Both quaternary ammonium salts and alkyl triamines suffer from this problem, when used on their own. Under the standard test EN13727:2003 “Chemical disinfectants and antiseptics. Qualitative suspension test for the evaluation of bacteriocidal activity of chemical disinfectants for instruments used in the medical area”, the above composition is still fully effective in the presence of blood, achieving a pass score in only one minute.

[0089] Each of the above standard EN tests (except for EN14476) has been performed in both “clean” and “dirty” conditions. “Dirty” conditions are simulated by the addition of a 10% albumen loading. Nevertheless, the above composition passed the tests easily, even in “dirty” conditions.

[0090] It is important that a widely-usable cleanser and disinfectant should not attack the surfaces to which it is applied, including surfaces of medical devices and instruments, such as endoscopes and flexible endoscopes, surgical instruments and dental instruments. This has previously limited the use of cleansing media having particularly high (or low) pH values. However, when the above composition is tested under ASTM G 31-72:2004 “Standard Practice for Laboratory Immersion Corrosion Testing of Metals”, it is found to be effectively non-corrosive. Even though a small level of benzotriazole anti-corrosive is present, in the composition, and monoethanolamine is known to have some anti-corrosive effect, this is a surprisingly significant effect. The above composition is hence not considered corrosive to metals under current EU directives, even though the concentrate reaches a pH of around 12.6 and even at 1% w/w dilution, it has a pH of 11.2.

[0091] It is also important that a cleanser/disinfectant for use on soft surfaces, such as upholstery, curtains, carpeting, bedding, clothing and the like, should not harm the surfaces to be cleaned. (For example, bleach can be an effective disinfectant, but will attack many fibres in textiles or carpeting, and bleach out dyestuffs). No such problems have been experienced with compositions embodying the present invention.

[0092] Compositions of the present invention also appear to be effective against contamination in laundry applications. The standard recommendation from the UK Department of Health and the World Health Organisation is that hospital clothing, bedding and the like should be washed at a temperature of 80° C. or greater, to ensure complete cleaning and disinfection. These temperatures, effectively a “boil wash”, are likely to damage the textiles involved, shortening their lifetimes and making them uncomfortable in wear. The additional energy costs of washing at over 80° C. are also very significant, particularly as modern detergents can often clean (but not disinfect) at 30° C. to 40° C.

[0093] However, the above composition has been tested in the following wash cycle: wash with detergent conventionally at 30° C.-40° C.; rinse with water; rinse with a diluted form of the above composition; rinse again with water. This has given the same effectiveness in cleaning and disinfection as an 80° C. wash with detergent and water rinse alone. There would hence be major savings in both energy costs and the lifetime of the textiles being cleaned. Since the above composition is effectively biodegradable, the environmental concerns that might attend the use of existing cleansing/disinfecting media should not arise.

[0094] It hence appears that the cleansing and disinfecting composition of the present invention has unexpectedly broad and rapid effectiveness against all pathogens of particular current interest, without the drawbacks and side effects that might have been predicted.