Hand sanitizer junkies: prepare for an education.
You know who you are: the parent who basically sponge-bathes her kids in antibacterial goo; the businesswoman with a bottle always dangling from her purse. In this age of COVID-19 pandemic pandemonium, we are reaching for whatever we believe can protect us. According to Durisan CEO Troy Daland, whether you’re a heavy user or not, it’s high time for an education in sanitization.
“COVID-19 is really making people think about what they’re putting on their hands and surfaces,” he says. “Durisan products linger longer than those that have an alcohol-based delivery system.”
Surprise: You won’t find any alcohol in Durisan products. Since 2014, the mid-sized Sarasota company has manufactured hand sanitizers, soaps, disinfecting wipes and sprayers, for residential and business use, that feature a mechanical antimicrobial system. This mechanical delivery system annihilates microbes through Siquat (quaternized nitrogen silanes) that pierce microbe cell walls, preventing nasty bugs from building immunity and creating a superbug.
What’s the benefit of a mechanical kill versus the chemical germ exodus made possible by alcohol? Longevity is the main highlight, Daland says. The Siquat puts down a layer of submicron nanospikes that linger. That, and the products’ active ingredient, benzalkonium chloride, obliterates herpes simplex, Hepatitis B, measles, Influenza A and HIV. Conversely, alcohol lingers just 15-20 seconds on hands before a reapplication is necessary.
“Our formula lasts a lot longer,” Daland says. “Plus, alcohol is drying; our products moisturize skin.”
Durisan’s water-based, nontoxic sanitizers are proven killers of 99.9 percent of germs and viruses for 24 hours. Wash those hands up to eight times a day, or up to 24 hours, and the Durisan formula remains as a protectant barrier. Alcohol-based competitors must be reapplied continuously to offer protection, but if consumer behavior is any indication, heavy use of hand sanitizer highlights the feeling of control a person has through frequent use.
Still, such reapplication overkill is not necessary with Durisan. And while it’s true that no Durisan product existed at the time this story went to print that specifically killed COVID-19, no alcohol-based sanitizer could make that 100%-effective claim either. Is it coming? Research done in-house and through college partnerships, is active and progressive, searching for that exact answer.
Innovation is already on its way in other forms. Durisan found its first success through a textile sanitizing product that clings to cotton. Now, it possesses the technology to offer an extra barrier for another prized health care element: protective face masks.
“We have the technology to infuse the masks,” Daland says “There wasn’t a call for it until now, but it may be something we bring out in the near future.”
High demand for its products, which are patented and FDA-compliant, has meant reaching deep into the supply chain to ensure prompt delivery. It’s been hectic but not impossible; Daland points to his team of 26 employees as a huge reason for success.
“We absolutely believe in our product,” he says. “Even in these times we have people asking to work overtime to help, and that’s something I’m proud of.”
Will educated consumers shift from alcohol-based sanitizers toward the long-lasting Durisan? Already, Quest Diagnostics believes so. Durisan is found in its labs and COVID-19 testing sites. Its lingering efficacy offers clear advantages. And while the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending a 60% alcohol formulary, there’s science against that, Daland says.
The day this article was written, Pinellas and Hillsborough issued safer-at-home orders. Hand sanitizer shelves gaped, empty; consumers bemoaned shortages and concocted homemade alternatives. In Sarasota, Durisan employees worked to fill precious bottles to meet the global need.
“Keep yourself and your family safe by maintaining good hygiene, regardless of the product you use,” Daland says. “Keep your family safe.”?
