We find that by better familiarizing yourself with the water damage restoration process, it’ll allow you to not only better understand what’s going on in your home but will also give you peace of mind.
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Table of Contents
Antimicrobials & Biocides
When it comes to water damage restoration, controlling microbial activity at a restoration site may require the use of chemical agents, especially when battling Category 3 Water Damage.
The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has defined three levels of biocidal activity:
Sanitizer
A cleaning treatment designed to reduce the number of pathogenic microorganisms to a safe level. This is the lowest level of biocidal activity.
Disinfectant
A product designed to destroy or inactivate microorganisms, but not necessarily their spores.
Sterilizer
A product designed to destroy or eliminate all forms of microorganisms (e.g., fungi, bacteria, viruses, etc.) and their spores.
It’s important for restoration technicians to understand and become familiar with the products used in the water damage restoration industry and the health and safety risks associated with the products.
Active Ingredients
Each and every active ingredient commonly found in antimicrobials and biocides used in restorative drying has its own strengths, depending upon the intended application site, target organism, and environmental conditions. And choosing an antimicrobial begins with understanding the efficiencies and deficiencies of each of these ingredients.
Alcohol
Isopropanol, or “rubbing alcohol,” is an effective antimicrobial. It’s extremely volatile and highly flammable, thus, leaving for very little dwell time and creates a safety hazard.
Aldehydes
Commonly found in the form of formaldehyde or glutaraldehyde, aldehydes are non-ionic, allowing them to be used on stain-resistant carpets without removing the stain-resistant qualities.
Hypochlorites
Hypochlorites are inexpensive, readily available, and are extremely effective against a broad spectrum as a disinfectant and sanitizer with good deodorizing properties. However, it’s a strong bleaching agent, can corrode metal, is inactivated by organic matter, and has limited cleaning ability.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Works well against many organisms, but is effective for a relatively short period of time. It’s sensitive to organic materials, loses its effectiveness rapidly, can bleach fabrics, and cause corrosion.
Phenolic Compounds
Commonly used for sewage, phenols are effective against a wide variety of microorganism and are more impervious to organic matter than antimicrobials.
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds
Commonly referred to as “quats,” they’re the common active ingredient in both institutional and consumer products. They’re very safe relative to other active ingredients when properly diluted, and effective against a wide variety of organism having good cleaning properties with a high alkalinity.
Ozone
Effective for destroying volatile organic vapors and eliminating odors. However, they;re difficult to support sufficient penetration into many materials and can be dangers in high concentrations. They also have the possibility to react with background chemicals, forming new compounds.
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When To Use Antimicrobials
Water damage restoration technicians should consider the following factors before using antimicrobials.
- The type and extent of contamination
- Any potential adverse health effects
- Other procedures and methods available to prevent or control microorganism growth
In conditions with high risk of exposure to organisms that can cause sickness, discomfort or disease, restorers should use an EPA-registered biocide. Especially in circumstances where some building occupants are at a higher risk because of compromised immune systems.
The risk associated with a chemical agent should be weighed against the risk present by microorganisms, if a chemical agent poses a greater risk, then it shouldn’t be used.
Many antimicrobial products can act as a sanitizer, deodorizers, and cleaners across a broad spectrum of building materials while they are not necessarily biocidal on all surfaces. Products that do work as a biocide across a broad spectrum of materials for an extended period of time are generally those products with greater safety risks and, in some cases, greater risk of damaging the materials themselves.
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Using Antimicrobials Safely, Properly, & Effectively
Most antimicrobials require that the area of application be vacated by occupants and pets during application and for a period of time after application.
Steps to follow:
- Read the product label first.
- Use appropriate PPE.
- Communicate with occupants.
- Obtain consent.
The function of biocides is to disinfect, sanitize, reduce, or mitigate the growth of microbes. Effective application means accomplishing these types of results, and to do that, biocides need to be used properly.
The recommended procedures for applying biocides are aimed at establishing effective contact.
Preclean
Clean and remove soils and organic matter before applying a biocide. Preclean substances that might prevent contact of the biocide with the microbes.
Wet the surface appropriately
Microbes must be exposed to a sufficient amount of the biocide.
Allow adequate contact time
Microbes must be exposed to the biocide for a sufficient time period.
When it comes to the use of any chemical agent during the water damage restoration process, safety should be everyone’s number one concern. Have any questions? Let us know in the comment below.
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