HARD SURFACE DISINFECTING COMPOSITION
A composition, lethal to a broad spectrum of microorganisms and capable of repeated applications to hard surfaces, includes solvent and solute components. The solvent component includes water and a lesser amount of at least one organic liquid, while the solute component includes a weak acid, a conjugate base of that acid, an oxidizing electrolyte, and an ionic surfactant. The composition is acidic but has a pH of at least 2.5 and an effective solute concentration of at least 2.5 Osm/L.
1 . A composition which provides at least a 99.9999% reduction against both S. aureus and P. aeruginosa in biofilm forms when tested according to EPA MLB SOP MB-20-03, said composition (1) neither containing nor producing elemental halogen or halogen oxide ions and (2) containing no more than 0.5% (w/v) quaternary ammonium compounds, said composition consisting of
a) a solvent component that consists of water and one or more organic liquids having a δ p value of from 5 to 10 MPa 1/2 inclusive, said solvent component having an overall δ p value of from 13.5 to 15.5 MPa 1/2 inclusive; and
b) a solute component comprising
1) at least one ionic surfactant and
2) dissociation products, reaction products, or both of one or more weak acids each of which has a pK a of from about 3 to about 5, at least one conjugate base of said one or more weak acids, and an electrolyte oxidizing agent having an E 0 red value of at least +1.5 V,
said electrolyte oxidizing agent constituting no more than 2.5% (w/w) of said solute component,
said composition having a calculated effective solute concentration of from 3 to 5.5 Osm/L, a pH of from 3.4 to 4.8 and including, on a per liter basis, from 675 to 800 mL water.
2 . The composition of claim 1 wherein said solute component is free of quaternary ammonium compounds.
3 . The composition of claim 1 wherein said solvent component consists of water and one organic liquid having a δ p value of from 5 to 10 MPa 1/2 inclusive.
4 . The composition of claim 3 wherein said organic liquid is a C 2 -C 4 acyclic alcohol.
5 . The composition of claim 4 wherein the weight ratio of water-to-alcohol in said solvent component is from about 7:1 to about 9:1.
6 . The composition of claim 4 wherein, on a per liter basis, said alcohol is present at 95 to 115 g.
7 . The composition of claim 1 wherein said at least one ionic surfactant is an anionic surfactant.
8 . The composition of claim 7 wherein, on a per liter basis, said anionic surfactant is present at 0.8 to 2.5 g.
9 . The composition of claim 1 wherein said one or more weak acids comprises acetic acid.
10 . The composition of claim 9 wherein said one or more weak acids is acetic acid.
11 . The composition of claim 9 wherein said conjugate base is an alkali metal acetate.
12 . The composition of claim 1 wherein said electrolyte oxidizing agent comprises peroxymonosulfate anion.
13 . The composition of claim 1 wherein, on a per liter basis, said electrolyte oxidizing agent is present at from 3 to 3.8 g.
14 . The composition of claim 1 wherein said composition has a pH of from 3.1 to 4.5.
15 . The composition of claim 14 wherein said composition has a pH of from 3.75 to 4.25.
16 . The composition of claim 1 having a calculated effective solute concentration of from 3.75 to 4.75 Osm/L.
17 . A composition which provides at least a 99.9999% reduction against both S. aureus and P. aeruginosa in biofilm forms when tested according to EPA MLB SOP MB-20-03, said composition consisting of, on a per liter basis, 750 to 775 g water, 90 to 110 g 2-propanol, 100 to 120 g acetic acid, 15 to 30 g alkali metal salt of acetic acid, 2.8 to 3.9 g of a compound classified as CAS 70693-62-8, and 1.5 to 2.5 g sodium lauryl sulfate.
18 . The composition of claim 17 consisting of, on a per liter basis, 755 to 770 g water, 95 to 105 g 2-propanol, 105 to 115 g acetic acid, 20 to 25 g alkali metal salt of acetic acid, 2.9 to 3.7 g of a compound classified as CAS 70693-62-8, and 1.6 to 2.1 g sodium lauryl sulfate.
19 . The composition of claim 17 wherein said alkali metal salt of acetic acid is sodium acetate.
20 . A method for disinfecting a hard surface comprising applying thereto and removing therefrom the composition of claim 1 , optionally with physical movement involving a cleaning article or device.
21 - 25 . (canceled)