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Here’s bad news for your germaphobe friend—you know, the one who buys all the products he can with the “antibacterial” stamp on them. Problem is, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has banned antibacterial ingredients from soap products, saying that these ingredients do little or nothing to make the soap more effective. What’s more, the FDA also says manufacturers have failed to prove that the ingredients are safe for human use.
And so, the grocery store shelves will soon be devoid of soaps with triclosan and triclocarban, two ingredients that make antibacterial soap, well, antibacterial. The FDA has given notice that manufacturers have one calendar year to remove and replace the ingredients. Soap makers can take an additional year to negotiate the use of other antibacterial ingredients.
“Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water,” said Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research in news accounts. “In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.” According to the FDA, triclosan is used in more than 2,000 consumer products, so the ban is far reaching.
So what are facility managers to do now that their supplies of restroom soaps will be devoid of the antibacterial ingredients? How about tackling germs at the source?
AeraMax® Professional commercial air purifiers not only eliminate odors in bathroom settings, but germs, viruses, allergens and pathogens lurking in the air; in fact, AeraMax Professional air purifiers can remove up to 99.97 % of contaminants from the air with its four-stage, hospital-type filtration.
By removing germs from the air, facility managers can help reduce dependence on antibacterial soaps, while improving overall indoor air quality. Best yet, AeraMax Professional commercial air purifiers come in a variety of sizes to accommodate the square footage of many common spaces. And, all feature EnviroSmart™ Technology, which senses when air needs to be clean. That way, facility managers can reduce energy usage while protecting building occupants from airborne germs and viruses.
