Focus on Sanitizers & Disinfectants: What do Experts Say?

The need for quality disinfectants and sanitizers continues to grow as more end-users look to protect their properties and building occupants from harmful organisms. Maintenance Sales News featured John Wunderlich, VP of National Sales, and Alex Jackson, Technical Director at Nyco, in an interview on the state of Disinfectants and Sanitizers today. Following is a reprint of this article, as it appeared in the July/August 2017 issue of MSN.

Knowing the true needs of their end-user customers when it comes to the use of disinfectants and sanitizers should be the key objective for any jan/san and food service distributor, according to Nyco Products Vice President of National Sales John Wunderlich, I.C.E.

“It’s important that distributors understand what their customers are looking for, in terms of the organisms needed to be destroyed, along with any health-related issues,” Wunderlich said. “End-users should also be familiar with how to properly apply a product, whether it’s a concentrate or ready-to-use item. Not every disinfectant is safe on every surface. Therefore, employee training is critical.

“Many times, no one single product is going to be effective against all pathogens in all situations. This is why Nyco Products offers a variety of disinfectants and sanitizers. A particular product may be very effective in a school setting, but not so much in a long-term health care facility, for example.”

Nyco Products Company is a manufacturer of specialty cleaning chemicals and sanitary maintenance brands. Founded in 1920 and family-owned, the company has a rich history of innovation and unique product offerings for the areas of facilities supply, food service, building maintenance, industrial cleaning, food processing, health care and education.

“Today, we help distributors and end-users grow their businesses through our national brand line as well as our proprietary private branding program called Building Better Brands®. We are very dynamic in manufacturing, marketing and branding,” Wunderlich said. “Nyco Products manufactures a wide range of disinfectant solutions in various forms. This includes concentrated, ready-to-use, dilution control and closed looped.

“One of our key products is Sani-Spritz Spray, which is a ready-to-use disinfectant. It features a wide efficacy against harmful bacteria, viruses, molds and fungi. It comes with a very wide kill claim, and is also an exceptional cleaner.”

Wunderlich also mentioned Nyco Products’ Table Time 200® ready-to-use food service neutral pH sanitizer that is not harsh on surfaces; and the company’s Uno disinfectant line, which is effective against organisms that are harmful to both humans and animals.

He added that Nyco Products has several other neutral pH products available, including the company’s Neutral Q128 and Neutral Q64 disinfectants. These are safe to use on floor finishes and in health care settings.

Meanwhile, Nyco Products’ N601+ disinfectant and sanitizer is unique in that it can be used at two separate dilution ratios.

“At one dilution ratio, it is a food service/food contact sanitizer with an extremely wide range of kill claims; and at the other dilution ratio, it’s a neutral disinfectant cleaner, with an even expanded range of kill claims,” Wunderlich said. “Nyco Products offers as well a wide range of disinfectant bowl cleaners and a chlorine-based disinfectant.”

Nyco Products Technical Director Alex Jackson added that the company’s website provides a wide range of helpful information regarding the company’s many products. It also details the proper use of disinfectants and sanitizers.

“One of the great educational tools that we offer is Nyco’s website. It includes a section called, ‘Types of Disinfectants: How to Make the Best Choice for Your Facility,’” Jackson said. “It provides a step-by-step process, helping people make the best decision as to what type of products to use, proper dilution levels and dwell times.”

Helping people understand exactly what disinfectants and sanitizers are remains a key objective for representatives at Nyco Products.

“We answer a lot of questions from people who want to know the difference,” says Wunderlich. “There is much confusion. Disinfectants and sanitizers both provide a certain level of efficacy against microorganisms. The difference is in the range of microorganisms that are killed, as well as the length of dwell times required.

“We are seeing many manufacturers today offering disinfectants and sanitizers that greatly exceed the EPA protocol regarding the number of pathogens that must be killed.”

Jackson added that there has been a successful reduction over the years in dwell times for disinfectants, and that more manufacturers are introducing products that are safer for surfaces.

“There are more ‘neutral’ products today that can be used on many surfaces, while still offering a variety of kill claims,” Jackson said.

Another question that Wunderlich and Jackson are often asked is, “Are all disinfectants the same?” Both industry pros indicated the answer is a resounding “no.”

“As mentioned, our website is a great educational tool. It includes some excellent blogs about disinfectants and sanitizers, and we also conduct seminars for distributors and end-users dealing with specific topics. This includes infectious disease control, blood-borne pathogen training, etc.,” Wunderlich said. “Nyco strongly believes in education. In our industry, the largest cost for end-users is labor. Therefore, addressing cost reductions through proper training and education is very important.”

Wunderlich and Jackson both agreed that there is a lot to know when it comes to the proper selection and use of disinfectants and sanitizers.

“For us, customer service comes in different shapes. Nyco Products has a trained inside customer service team available who do an excellent job with technical questions, and then there is our company’s outside sales team of experts,” Wunderlich said. “Demand for disinfectants and sanitizers continues to grow. It’s our job, at Nyco Products, to provide solutions for this growing demand.

“We also work hard to meet changes in regulations. It’s important that our labels and formulations are up-to-date. We often work three to five years in advance to meet upcoming market changes. For example, Nyco Products’ representatives are already working on projects that won’t go into effect until 2020 or later. This helps us with proof-of-performance issues and stability, so when changes do come along, our distributors are not caught off-guard.”

Wunderlich added that business has been good for Nyco Products in 2017.

“We certainly appreciate the efforts of our customers and distributors who continue to support the company,” he said. “Nyco Products continues to grow its product line and geographic reach. We also invest in automation, and are expanding our marketing programs.

“I believe the company is well-positioned for continued growth right now.”