Antimicrobially active composition having a content of bispyridium alkane (octenidine dihydrochloride)

1. An antimicrobially active composition on an aqueous basis which comprises

a) 0.001 to 10% by weight bispyridinium alkane,

b) 0.05 to 30% by weight nonionic surfactant,

c1) at least 50% by weight water, and

d) 0.01 to 10% by weight polyol, the polyol being selected from alkanediols and alkanetriols, and

wherein the antimicrobially active composition

is free from other quaternary ammonium compounds,

is free from hydrogen peroxide or peroxide-releasing compounds,

is free from betaine and/or amine oxide,

is free from aldehydes and

is free from silicone oils.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein component a) is octenidine dihydrochloride.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises from 0.01 to 1% by weight of component a).

4. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the composition comprises from 0.03 to 0.5% by weight of component a).

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the nonionic surfactant is selected from fatty alcohol polyalkoxylates, polysorbates, alkyl glycosides and alkoxylated fatty acid monoglycerides and mixtures thereof.

6. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the nonionic surfactant is selected from fatty acid monoglyceride substituted by 5 to 100 ethoxy groups.

7. The component of claim 4 , wherein the nonionic surfactant is selected from fatty acid monoglyceride substituted by from 20 to 70 ethoxy groups.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises from 0.2 to 15% by weight of component b).

9. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the composition comprises from 0.3 to 10% by weight of component b).

10. The composition of claim 4 , wherein the composition comprises from 0.5 to 5% by weight of component b).

11. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising an aromatic alcohol as a component c2) selected from i) aryloxyalkanols, ii) arylalkanols and iii) oligoalkanol aryl ethers and mixtures thereof.

12. The composition of claim 5 , further comprising an aromatic alcohol as a component c2) selected from i) aryloxyalkanols, ii) arylalkanols and iii) oligoalkanol aryl ethers and mixtures thereof.

13. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the aromatic alcohol of component c2) is phenoxyethanol.

14. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the composition comprises from 0.2 to 15% by weight of component c2).

15. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the composition comprises from 0.4 to 8% by weight of component c2).

16. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the composition comprises from 0.7 to 3% by weight of component c2).

17. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyol is selected from 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,3-propylene glycol, butane-1,4-diol, glycerol, sorbitol and mixtures thereof as component d).

18. The composition of claim 5 , wherein the polyol is selected from 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,3-propylene glycol, butane-1,4diol, glycerol, sorbitol and mixtures thereof as component d).

19. The composition of claim 12 , wherein the polyol is selected from 1,2-propylene glycol, 1,3-propylene glycol, butane-1,4-diol, glycerol, sorbitol and mixtures thereof as component d).

20. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the polyol is glycerol as component d).

21. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises from 0.05 to 5% by weight of component d).

22. The composition of claim 2 , wherein the composition comprises from 0.2 to 2% by weight of component d).

23. The composition of claim 12 , wherein the composition comprises from 0.3 to 0.7% by weight of component d).

24. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises e) from 0.05 to 10% by weight of a fruit acid, a fruit acid salt, or mixtures thereof.

25. The composition of claim 24 , wherein the fruit acid is selected from citric acid, lactic acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, gluconic acid, fumaric acid and succinic acid and mixtures thereof as component e).

26. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises from 0.05 to 10% by weight of a fruit acid as component e), the fruit acid being sodium gluconate.

27. The composition of claim 24 , wherein the composition comprises from 0.05 to 5% by weight of component e).

28. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises f) from 0.025 to 10% by weight flavoring, sweetener, or mixtures thereof.

29. The composition of claim 28 , wherein the sweetener is selected from alitame, aspartame, dulcin, neohesperidin DC, stevioside, sucralose, suosan and thaumatin and mixtures thereof.

30. The composition of claim 25 , wherein the composition further comprises from 0.025 to 10% by weight flavoring sweeteners or mixtures thereof, the sweetener when present being selected from aspartame, neohesperidin DC and mixtures thereof.

31. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises g) an acid, a base, a buffer, or mixtures thereof.

32. The composition of claim 21 , wherein component g) is present in an amount which sets the pH to 2 to 8.

33. The composition of claim 32 , wherein component g) is present in an amount which sets the pH to 3 to 6.

34. A mouthwash solution comprising an antimicrobially active composition, said antimicrobially active composition including

a) 0.001 to 10% by weight bispyridinium alkane,

b) 0.05 to 30% by weight nonionic surfactant,

c) 0 to 40% by weight aromatic alcohol and

d) 0.01 to 10% by weight polyol, the polyol being selected from alkanediols and alkanetriols, and

e) at least 50% by weight water, wherein the antimicrobial) active composition

is free from quaternary ammonium compounds,

is free from hydrogen peroxide or peroxide-releasing compounds,

is free from betaine and/or amine oxide.

is free from aldehydes and

is free from silicone oils.

35. The mouthwash solution of claim 34 , wherein the solution controls methicillin-resistant S. aureus and/or E. faecalis.