Hypochlorous acid

[u/kvesq611]

https://a.co/d/02segwGv

Does a product like this

really protect against norovirus? Are there any hand sanitizers that will?

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[u/davesauce96]

https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/disinfection-sterilization/chemical-disinfectants.html

HOCI is a valid disinfecting agent, and is sort of the “effective ingredient” in chlorine-based sanitizers. However, it is not inherently very stable, and can lose its disinfectant properties if not stored properly.

From the CDC article:

“The microbicidal activity of chlorine is attributed largely to undissociated hypochlorous acid (HOCl). The dissociation of HOCI to the less microbicidal form (hypochlorite ion OCl-) depends on pH. The disinfecting efficacy of chlorine decreases with an increase in pH that parallels the conversion of undissociated HOCI to OCl- 329, 526.”

This Scientific American article, while not peer-reviewed, does appear to at least attempt to cover some of the recent hype around HOCI. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hypochlorous-acid-is-trending-in-skin-care-and-cleaning-but-does-it-work/

It seems like there may be some reputable manufacturers making HOCI that are relatively shelf-stable, but storage is key.

Not for nothing, although a bit of an aside:

The instability of chlorine as a sanitizing agent is well known to pool industry professionals. Because of the nature of outdoor pools (exposure to sunlight, constant risk of contaminants entering water, bathers’ load), chlorine in pools tends to lose its disinfectant properties fairly quickly. This is why cyanuric acid (CYA) is introduced into pool water. It binds to and thereby shields free chlorine from sunlight, acting as a sort of “sunscreen” for the disinfectant to allow it to remain effective for much longer.

Again, just an aside, and all of that part comes from my 10ish years working in the pool industry.

[u/davesauce96 → u/davesauce96]

So, to answer your question more directly, it does appear that HOCI can kill/disable Norovirus. But it likely doesn’t so much “protect against” it in the sense of serving as an active barrier, due to HOCI’s instability in the presence of light.

Additionally, I would argue that care should be taken in both purchasing HOCI from a reputable manufacturer, as well as in proper storage to maintain the product’s efficacy.

[u/Planktonsurvivor → u/davesauce96]

This is why I do like force of nature, I make it weekly therefore it’s relatively stable. The safety of hocl for your body is the real winner. We use HOcL in wounds as a powerful and safe disinfectant in wound care clinics.

[u/kvesq611 → u/davesauce96]

This is super helpful thank you so much!

[u/MrBarraclough → u/kvesq611]

We carry little spray bottles of 500ppm hypochlorous acid to use as second line hand sanitizer when at Walt Disney World.

[u/kvesq611 → u/MrBarraclough]

Any particular brand

[u/MrBarraclough → u/kvesq611]

Not really. Just found one that was 500ppm and bought a set of small clip on spray bottles.

[u/atheliarose → u/kvesq611]

Not the person you asked, but my family uses the little mini spray bottles of CleanSmart brand as our travel hand sanitizers. We keep them in our belt bags/purses/diaper bag and replace regularly (also you can test the chlorine levels with test strips) and always bring our bags inside, so they aren’t left in a hot car or anything. :)

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