Benzalkonium Chloride

[PeeBee]

Something that came out of this corona-virus thing was the use of "benzalkonium chloride" as a hand sanitiser (the foamy no-alcohol type). It probably is ineffective against that virus, but all the same price and availability is wrong at the moment. It should be cheap, often sold as a 50% solution, and would normally be diluted to 0.1%. It is used in such very low concentration, and lower, for use in human cosmetics and food.

So, once the virus thing is done and prices come down again, could this stuff be used as a no-rinse sanitiser?

It is naturally foamy, a detergent (surfactant) and fairly innoxious to us humans when diluted (not when concentrated - it is described as a "biocide" which don't sound healthy to me).

[RobP]

The virus is a fatty sheath with protein inside it. Just about anything will damage the fat around the virus and make it ineffective, soap will do it.
There's no research on how food safe Benzalkonium Chloride is so I wouldn't but it's used in some medicinal preparations so 0.1% should be OK if you think it's worth the risk.

[guypettigrew]

The virus is a fatty sheath with protein inside it. Just about anything will damage the fat around the virus and make it ineffective, soap will do it.
There's no research on how food safe Benzalkonium Chloride is so I wouldn't but it's used in some medicinal preparations so 0.1% should be OK if you think it's worth the risk.

Yup, it's in some eye drops I'm having to use for a macula problem. But only at 0.01%.

Stick with Starsan or similar. No reason to change.

Guy