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Alconox Inc. COVID-19 and Coronavirus
Relevant TechNotes and recommendations:…..Our supply chain, manufacturing, and distribution system in the US is thus far unaffected by COVID-19 or the Coronavirus. All of our raw materials are US sourced. As part of our disaster preparedness plans, we have made commercially reasonable contingency plans to mitigate the potential impact of COVID-19 or the Coronavirus on our ability to supply Alconox Inc. detergents.
Spotlight
Supply Chain Management
Q: We are a mid-sized medical device company and are looking at reviewing and optimizing our supply chain. Our goal is to move towards a culture of risk mitigation of our raw materials. As a consumer of your detergents, what is Alconox Inc. doing to ensure consistent supply chain?
A: Thank you for the question as it is both important, and certainly an area of deserved focus and scrutiny from regulatory bodies. Ensuring a continuous supply of drug, medical device or laboratory products requires a dependable supply of raw materials….
How to: Clean and Disinfect for Viruses and Other Pathogens
Per Center for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines for cleaning and disinfecting viruses and other pathogens, any form of disinfection necessarily follows cleaning. The process of cleaning will remove any residues that might shield any virus or pathogen from the disinfection step that comes next. Disinfection, following the thorough cleaning and rinsing, can be done with bleach solutions….
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Clean Before Sterilization (Disinfection)
Did you know? If It’s Not Clean, You Can’t Sterilize.
Why must instruments be cleaned before being sterilized? According to the CDC, “Cleaning should precede all disinfection and sterilization processes.Cleaning involves the removal of debris (organic or inorganic) from an instrument or device. If visible debris is not removed, it will interfere with microbial inactivation and can compromise the disinfection or sterilization process.”
Cleaning Coveralls and Other Potentially Contaminated PPE
Q: Can we use the Alconox Inc. detergents for washing to clean and disinfect coveralls for re-use? We have Alconox powder in stock.
A: Yes! I would use the word clean or sanitize as opposed to disinfect. That is what aqueous detergents do. See these important links….
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Replacing Isopropyl Alcohol in Cleaning
Q. I’ve been told that we should no longer use isopropyl alcohol for cleaning our pharmaceutical equipment. What should we use instead?
A. In pharmaceutical cleaning applications, isopropyl alcohol (IPA) is less than ideal. Alcohol will clean residues which are soluble in alcohol, but that is a limited range. Using critical cleaning, aqueous detergents are a far more robust and will allow for more effective cleaning processes.
Comply With EPA Field Equipment Cleaning and Decontamination
Q: We are looking for a phosphate free detergent to comply with the EPA document SESDPROC-205-R3 Field Equipment Cleaning and Decontamination.
A: On the EPA government website, for field equipment cleaning and decontamination, the following statement is made: Detergent shall be a standard brand of phosphate-free laboratory detergent such as Liquinox® or Luminox®.
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