What Are Enzymatic Cleaners? A Beginner’s Guide to Effective Cleaning Solutions

In medical and dental facilities, it is necessary to clean, sterilize, and disinfect instruments to reduce the risk of infections. As a result of this thorough cleaning, the transmission of germs is reduced and the safety of the patients as well as the medical staff is ensured. For this purpose, different products and techniques can be used. One of these cleaning products includes enzymatic cleaners which are enzyme-rich solutions often employed to remove stains from the products.

In this regard, the following article gives an overview of what enzymatic cleaners are, how they work, and what are some of the brands known for the quality and efficacy of their products. 

What are Enzymatic Cleaners?

Enzymatic cleaners are cleaning solutions that carry enzymes in them. These enzymes act as the main cleaning agents and help clear dirt or other organic impurities. These products are known for being environment-friendly as they do not impact the environment in a negative way.

On the contrary, these products help keep it safe by breaking down the dirty substances that can pollute soil or water. In addition, enzymatic cleaners are also 100% biodegradable which allows bacteria to break them down.

Enzymes in Enzymatic Cleaners

The enzymatic cleaners carry the following enzymes:

· Protease enzyme (Enzyme responsible for the breakdown of protein-based stains e.g. stains of egg, meat, etc.)

· Amylases (A carbohydrate-digesting enzyme ideal for getting rid of starchy impurities)

· Lipases (Lipid or fat-digesting enzyme for cleaning oily stains)

· Pectinases

· Cellulases

Cleaning Process of Enzymatic Cleaners

The enzymatic cleaners work by acting as catalysts. As catalysts are the chemical substances that increase the speed of any reaction they are added into, the enzymes present in the enzymatic cleaners increase the rate of certain reactions.

This way, the breakdown of soil or other organic impurities present in the stains is done quickly thus the cleaning is performed rapidly and efficiently.

Stains and Enzymatic Cleaners

The following types of stains can easily be removed with the help of an enzymatic cleaner:

· Blood stains

· Human fecal matter

· Animal fecal matter or pet odor

· Mucous

· Smelly human or cat urine

· Pieces of tissues

· Bodily fluids e.g. cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)

· Food stains

· Soil

· Grass stains

· Grease  

· Mould

Are Enzymatic Cleaners Effective?

The enzymatic cleaners have high efficiency when it comes to cleaning and disinfection. These differ from other chemical-based cleaners as they have strong enzymes in them that handle the cleaning job without altering the pH of the products.

Once these cleaners are applied to a stain, the time required to get rid of the medical waste is around 10 to 15 minutes. In addition, unlike chemical-based cleaners, enzyme-based cleaners also work best in cold water in addition to hot water.

Properties of Enzymatic Cleaners

The enzymatic cleaners have the following properties:

· These products have a non-foaming formula that enables cleaning without altering the pH of the instruments.

· Enzymatic cleaners are biodegradable so they deteriorate once bacteria act on them.

· These cleaning products are non-abrasive so they do not harm the medical instruments, clothing materials, as well as the surfaces in the medical and dental facilities. In short, any item made up of plastic, rubber, or metal is not affected by these products.

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· Some of these cleaners are fragrance-free while others have soothing smells.

· These products break down soil or dirt at a neutral pH value i.e. pH 6 to 8.

Applications of Enzymatic Cleaners

The enzymatic cleaners have the following applications in medical as well as dental facilities:

Cleaning of Medical Clothing

Enzymatic cleaners are often employed to remove the stains of blood from linens, medical clothes, and surgical scrubs. If these clothing items are disposable, the need for cleaning is automatically eliminated. However, in the case of linens and bed sheets which are to be used again and again and are also changed frequently, cleaning solutions and detergents are a necessity.

Decontamination of Medical Facilities and Nursing Homes

The use of enzymatic cleaners for decontaminating medical facilities as well as nursing homes is well-established. These can be employed for cleaning utensils, bathrooms, floors, etc. In particular, the sterile processing departments and the endoscopy units are the places where these cleaners are frequently utilized.

Apart from decomposing the medical waste, these cleaners eliminate the foul smell in the facility. However, as most of these products do not have any added fragrance in them, they do not leave any irritating odor on the surfaces. 

Decontamination in Home Settings

In cases where the patients are residing in their homes, the interaction of the family members with the medical waste is inevitable. While changing bandages or pampers in bedridden elderly patients, the waste products do come into contact with clothes and other items. Hence, the need for thorough cleaning is generated.

How to Choose the Best Enzymatic Cleaners?

While buying the best enzymatic cleaners, it is important to look into the following factors:

Type of Enzymes

Different enzyme cleaners have different kinds of enzymes in them. While choosing a product that is best for your needs, it is good to check which enzymes the cleaner is carrying as well as against which stains these enzymes will be effective. Select a product that has been designed to clean the stains you want to get rid of.

Cleaning Efficiency

Based on differing compositions, most enzymatic cleaners also differ in their cleaning efficiency against stains and other organic impurities. Some of these are suitable for cleaning tough stains which are either older or have stuck firmly on the clothes while others are only effective against minor and more recent stains. Therefore, a suitable enzymatic cleaner must be selected after checking the effectiveness of different products.

Ease of Usage

Enzyme cleaners should also be easy to employ and clean afterward once their job is done. These should also take a little time for their cleaning action.

Dosage

It is also important to consider how much product is required to clean a single stain. If the required is too much, a single bottle of enzymatic cleaner will not last for longer. Thus, the cost of the product in comparison to the number of stains it can remove is not justified.

Enzymatic Cleaners at Health Supply 770: Products and Specifications

Enzymatic cleaners are the cleaning products which carry enzymes as their main ingredient. These enzymes catalyze reactions which in turn break down the organic impurities. As a result, the product being cleaned becomes free from impurities, contaminants, as well as all kinds of stains.

As enzymatic cleaners are essential for every healthcare facility including hospitals, clinics, dental facilities, etc., many brands manufacture and market these cleaners. The following section covers some of the enzyme cleaners which are available at Health Supply 770 along with their prices and purchase links:

10-4400 Metrex EmPower Enzyme Cleaner Fragrance-Free 4/CS

$111.80

(4 boxes per case)

10-4400 METREX CLEANER FRAGRANCE FREE EMPOWER 4/CS

Product Details

10-4400 Metrex EmPower Cleaner Fragrance-Free 4/CS is one of the most effective enzymatic cleaners. It comprises two proteolytic i.e. protein-digesting enzymes which enhance the cleaning action.

This dual-enzymatic detergent is effective against multiple types of stains of organic matter including those of blood, mucous, tissues, fats, as well as protein-rich body fluids. In addition, amylase and lipase enzymes are also added. In addition, it can also be used for cleaning the fecal matter of cats, dogs, or other pets.

As the product is claimed to be even less corrosive than distilled water, it can be used on medical and dental instruments, sheets, etc. Moreover, the 10-4400 Metrex fragrance-free EmPower enzymatic cleaner is also suitable for cleaning automated machines as it does not produce much foam.

Moreover, due to their effective cleaning action, the EmPower enzymatic cleaners can also be employed to pre-soak critical as well as semi-critical medical instruments before performing terminal sterilization or high-level disinfection on them.

Moreover, the formula of these enzymatic cleaners is fragrance which means these do not cause respiratory issues to those who are sensitive to such products.

J& J Healthcare 2252 Enzol GL Enzymatic Detergent and Odor Remover

J & J HEALTHCARE 2252 DETERGENT, ENZYMATIC ENZOL GL

Product Details

J& J Healthcare 2252 Detergent, Enzymatic Enzol GL is one of the best enzyme cleaners and odor removers available in the US market. The product is fast-acting due to which the hard-to-remove stain starts becoming smaller and smaller within one minute of its application. These enzymes break the mucous, feces, as well as blood stains.

In addition, the Enzol enzyme cleaner and odor removers are easy to rinse off the product once the cleaning has been done. Its no-stain formula does not leave any film on the instruments or clog the scopes.

This J& J Healthcare 2252 Enzol enzyme cleaner and odor remover can be used for cleaning a wide range of products including ultrasonic cleaners, washer decontaminators, as well as automatic endoscopes. In addition, the product can also be used on other items depending upon the manufacturer’s recommendations.

In addition to these features, the J& J Healthcare 2252 Enzol enzyme cleaner and odor remover do not interfere with the pH of the instruments. As a result, the risk of corrosion is minimized and the longevity of the devices is ensured. One case of the J& J Healthcare 2252 Enzol enzyme cleaners contains 4 gallons of the products. Along with it, a single pump is also supplied which can be used with a spray bottle. The product is also effective for removing the odor of dog and cat pee, pet messes, etc. These can be employed on hard surfaces, carpets, furniture, hardwood floors, and fabric.

*Note: The prices mentioned in the article are taken from the Health Supply 770 website. They may vary depending on the vendor.

All the enzymatic cleaners mentioned in the article, along with many other medical supplies, can be ordered from Health Supply 770 , a reliable name when it comes to medical products. They have a 30-day money-back guarantee and provide your products to you in the shortest possible time. Click the links given at the end of the article to check out the different types of enzymatic cleaners.

Bottom Line

In medical and dental facilities, keeping the instruments and environment clean is essential for the safety of the healthcare staff as well as the patients. For this purpose, several techniques and products are available.

One of these items is the use of enzymatic cleaners. These products carry several protein, lipid, and carbohydrate-digesting enzymes in them which act on organic stains and break the impurities in no time. Being environment-friendly and biodegradable, these products do not leave lasting effects.

Considering their vast usage and frequent employment, it is good to have a stock of enzymatic cleaners at home as well as at every healthcare facility. In this regard, for ordering different kinds of enzymatic cleaners, reliable vendors like Health Supply 770 should be approached. They ensure the provision of quality products along with satisfactory services.