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 of at least 11 when diluted to an in-use concentration, and 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 and bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal and sporicidal efficacy.

2. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein said long-chain alkyl polyamine compound comprises a long-chain alkyl triamine compound.

3. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 2, wherein said long-chain alkyl polyamine compound comprises a compound having the general formula R.sup.1N((CH.sub.2).sub.mNH.sub.2)(CH.sub.2).sub.nNH.sub.2, where R.sup.1 is selected from linear and branched alkyl chains comprising at least eight carbon atoms, and each of m and n is an integer between 2 and 4 inclusive.

4. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 3, wherein the long-chain alkyl polyamine compound has the general formula R.sup.1N((CH.sub.2).sub.mNH.sub.2).sub.2, where m equals n.

5. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 4, wherein m equals three.

6. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 3, wherein long chain R.sup.1 moiety is selected from linear and branched alkyl chain having between ten and sixteen carbon atoms.

7. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 1, 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. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 1, 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 selected from linear and branched alkyl chains comprising at least eight carbon atoms, and each of R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 is selected from a methyl and an ethyl group.

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

10. (canceled)

11. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein said metal carbonate salt comprises potassium carbonate.

12. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a sequestering agent.

13.-15. (canceled)

16. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 1, also comprising a long-chain alkyl polyethoxylate compound.

17.-19. (canceled)

20. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein 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. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein 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. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein ratio of the long-chain quaternary ammonium salt to the metal carbonate salt is between 3:1 and 1:1 parts by weight.

23.-32. (canceled)

33. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein 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; ratio of the long-chain alkyl polyamine compound to the metal carbonate salt is between 4:1 and 1.5:1 parts by weight; and ratio of the long-chain quaternary ammonium salt to the metal carbonate salt is between 3:1 and 1:1 parts by weight.

34. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition is not inactivated by organic soiling, including the presence of blood.

35. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 1, wherein the composition with a pH in use of at least 11 penetrates an outer layer of spores and kills the spores.

36. An aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition comprising a long-chain alkyl polyamine compound having the general formula R.sup.1N((CH.sub.2).sub.3NH.sub.2).sub.2, long chain R.sup.1 moiety being selected from linear and branched alkyl chains having between ten and sixteen carbon atoms; a long-chain quaternary ammonium salt having the general formula (R.sup.2).sub.2(CH.sub.3).sub.2N.sup.+X.sup.?, where R.sup.2 is selected from linear and branched alkyl chains comprising at least eight carbon atoms; and potassium carbonate, wherein the composition has a pH in use of at least 11 and has bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal and sporicidal efficacy.

37. The aqueous surface cleaning and disinfecting composition as claimed in claim 36, wherein the long chain R.sup.1 moiety has twelve carbon atoms and R.sup.2 has ten carbon atoms.

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)-L-glutamate 7.2 kg N,N-didecyl-N,N-dimethylammonium chloride 8.7 kg 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:

TABLE-US-00002 EN1275 (applicable for fungi and yeasts); EN1650 (applicable for fungi and yeasts); EN1276 (applicable for bacteria, fungi, yeast and spores); EN13727 (applicable for bacteria in the presence of blood); 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); 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); EN14348 (applicable for TB, a mycobacterium); 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 EN13704 (applicable for spores).

[0066] All these tests were passed with ease. Specifically:

TABLE-US-00003 EN1275: passed in 1 minute. EN1650: passed in 1 minute. EN1276: passed in 1 minute. EN13727: passed in 1 minute. EN13697: bacteria: passed in 5 minutes fungi/yeast: passed in 15 minutes. EN14347: passed in 1 minute, even with fully aged spores. EN14348: passed in 1 minute, test requirement is 60 minutes. 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. EN13704: passed in 2 minutes; test requirement is 60 minutes.

[0067] 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.

[0068] 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.

[0069] 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.

[0070] 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.

[0071] 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.

[0072] 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.

[0073] 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.

[0074] 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.

[0075] 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.

[0076] 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.