Plans to sanitise schools with a safe, non-alcohol based anti-viral killing mist are being proposed by hygiene experts as a way of getting UK children back in their classrooms and allow adults to return safely to work.

As fears mount over the damaging effect of lockdown on children, Repclif Chemical Services Ltd says it has the answer to how to get children safely back in classrooms.

The Crewe-based chemical blending experts have joined forces with Upminster’s Air Pumping Ltd and want to “fog” buildings from schools to train stations with a safe Electrosan hypochlorous mist, which is 99.9999% effective against coronavirus and all other germs and has a 12 second kill time.

The product has been independently tested and approved under the European Biocidal Products Regulation EU 528/2012 for human (skin) hygiene and hard and soft surface disinfection, being anti-virucidal, anti-bacterial, anti-sporicidal and anti-fungal.

Repclif has been helping blue lights services, care homes and businesses fight Covid-19 using Electrosan, a groundbreaking stabilised hypochlorous sanitiser, lethal to every pathogen known to man, yet safe for use around the mouth, eyes, ears and nose from birth.

Hypochlorous has been around since the 1800s and was used to treat the wounds of soldiers in World War One. The problem was that it has never been stabilised for long-term use until now.

“We have been supplying Electrosan in bottles for skin and surface disinfection but, working with Air Pumping Limited, we can do so much more,” said Repclif Managing Director Ivan Anketell-Clifford.

“Fogging involves spraying a 3-microns fine mist throughout buildings. Due to the non-hazardous safety profile of Electrosan, fogging can be done without the need for PPE. There’s no residue and a building sanitised in this way is 100% safe for people and animals.

Paul Cienciala, Sales Manager of Air Pumping (pumping solutions specialists for over 40 years) said “Developing a solution that allows for fast effective non-hazardous sanitising was a priority for us since the start of this pandemic. Our partnership with Repclif has enabled this to be achieved.”

“We’re incredibly excited and believe this could revolutionise cleaning and give a new, safe way to get the economy running again following Covid-19”.

Repclif have now called on their local MP Dr Keiran Mullan (Crewe and Nantwich) to raise the matter with Education Ministers, as a new way of getting children back to school with confidence.

The company is also campaigning for a change to World Health Organisation guidelines. These currently recommend alcohol-based sanitiser as the alternative to regular handwashing.

“We want the WHO to amend this to include hypochlorous,” added Ivan. “We have proven that hypochlorous is benign to skin and tissue, is fast drying, non-sting, and non-greasy because its free of skin emollient, unlike alcohol sanitisers which are unsuitable for many with skin irritations, cuts or cracked skin. In fact, we know its skin antiseptic properties will improve damaged skin.”

Electrosan should begin to be used in schools this summer. Next month, Repclif is due to deliver in excess of 40,000 bottled Electrosan Sanitiser Sprays (https://qualkem.com/natural-antiseptics-disinfectants/) to a 100% publicly owned supplies company to schools and other public sector businesses.

But WHO and Department of Education recognition would be a game changer and help schools throughout the UK and beyond.

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Repclif Chemical Services Ltd, a small family run firm, was founded in 1971 by Robert Frazer and Doug Holt, who had both previously worked for the well-known Wellcome Foundation. In recent years, the company has developed hygiene products for sectors, including leisure, dentistry, veterinary and retail, under the banner of Qualkem Brands and is now owned and run by Robert Frazer’s son-in-law and daughter, Ivan & Rachael.

To find out more about Qualkem, please go online to www.qualkem.com.

To find out more about Air Pumping, please go online to www.AirPumping.co.uk

For media enquiries contact Nigel Howle by phone on 0776 2043436 or email [email protected]​ .

 

Is alcohol sanitiser bad for your skin?

Hypochlorous Electrosan is more effective than alcohol-based sanitisers, with a 99.9999% kill rate within 12 seconds.

But there’s other benefits too, as it has no side-affects and is kind to skin; used regularly it will even soften hard skin.

Alcohol gels are harsh on skin and can be impossible to use for some people. Dermatologists say alcohol-based sanitisers can alter the skin’s barrier function and trigger allergic reactions.

Most contain ethyl alcohol (ethanol) or isopropanol, which is used to kill the bacteria on the surface of the hands.  But there is a risk of allergic dermatitis forming and this can manifest as a red prickly-looking rash. This occurs because the use of the alcohol gel is going to change the surface microflora of the skin in some way, and in some people that could lead to an allergic reaction.  A flare up of eczema is also a possibility.

Long-term usage of alcohol-based sanitiser can upset the skin’s natural defences, leading to skin dehydration. Hands can then develop wrinkles and flakiness giving the skin a thin, dry and aged look. An overuse of sanitiser will affect the skin barrier, leading to dry, cracked skin.

This article, published by Popular Science, explains further and recommends caution – https://www.popsci.com/is-hand-sanitizer-bad-for-my-microbiome/.