5 Myths About Germs

September 25, 2020 Leave a Comment

Germs and bacteria are everywhere. Combating these germs and bacteria is an ongoing process that should be undertaken regularly to help prevent the spread of disease. While it's extremely important to keep a clean and sanitized environment, it's also important to know the truth about germs. Let's take a closer look at some of the myths about germs that people have believed for generations.

1. Only Harsh Chemicals Are Good for Sanitizing – This is not true. There are alternatives to using harsh chemicals to sanitize and disinfect. Harsh chemical-based products do kill germs and bacteria. They are also dangerous. The CDC and EPA have warned against the dangers of these products for many years. Not only can they cause short- and long-term health issues in people and pets, they have a lasting negative impact on the environment. According to the EPA, children are particularly susceptible to the risks associated with harsh chemicals found in these products and suffer a higher rate of health issues.


2. All Bacteria is Bad – Not true. Bacteria is the cause of many serious diseases, including pneumonia, meningitis, colds, strep throat, and even issues caused by food contamination. We wash our hands frequently and disinfect our sinks, counters, and other touchpoints that are commonly shared by people. This is because we want to kill the bad bacteria. There is plenty of good bacteria. Estimates say that our bodies have about 100 trillion good bacteria. They help us digest food and absorb nutrients. Unfortunately, the products use to kill germs and bacteria do not discriminate between good and bad bacteria.



3. Sitting on a Toilet Seat is a Good Way to Get a Disease – No one wants to sit on a dirty toilet seat or eat from a dirty table for that matter, but how likely are you to catch a disease if you sit on a toilet seat that hasn't been properly sanitized and disinfected? Not very likely. Germs and bacteria typically don't live long on surfaces. Public restrooms should still be sanitized regularly. The CDC recommends at the end of each day. Properly sanitized and disinfected public restrooms will typically not present a huge danger.


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4. Superbugs Resist Handwashing – This is not true. Regular handwashing and sanitizing can help prevent the spread of germs and bacteria. This is one of the most basic things we can do, along with staying home when you're sick, to help prevent transferring and spreading germs and bacteria in public.



5. Products Marked "Green" Are Safe for People and Pets – Not all products marked with a "green" label are safe for people. The word "green" refers to the way the product is made and its impact on the environment. Some products marked as green may be okay for the environment but still harmful to people and pets. It's always best to research these products and find out more about them. According to the EPA, there are currently not enough restrictions in place to assure these products are safe even for the environment. Certain ingredients aren't required to be included on the label. It's up to individual companies to do the testing that determines the safety of their products, so it's important to trust the company you buy your sanitizing and disinfecting products from.

Germs and bacteria are everywhere. Regular cleaning and sanitizing have been proven by the CDC to drastically reduce the spread of sickness. There are plenty of harsh chemical-based sanitizing and disinfecting products on the market that work, but they are harmful to people and to the environment. Both the CDC and EPA agree on this and have issued warnings. Going forward, we can make a difference by choosing alternative methods for cleaning and sanitizing products that are safe for people, pets, and the planet.


At GenEon, we have been making a difference for years. All of the products are made using a process known as electrochemical activation (ECA). This allows us to make cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting products with nothing more than water, natural minerals, and electricity. One of the natural minerals that GenEon uses as a catalyst is a salt. Salt is a compound comprised of sodium and chloride. During this process, sodium ions are positively charged and chloride ions are negatively charged. Our onsite generators expose these ions to a low electrical charge. The positive side of the charge electrochemically converts the chloride ion (Cl) to hypochlorous acid (HOCl), which is a powerful sanitizer, and the negative side of the charge electrochemically converts the sodium ion (Na) into sodium hydroxide (NaOH), which is a cleaning compound commonly found in soaps and detergents. Unlike some other OSG systems, our system is a Blended Stream System that uses both versions in the same solution. The hypochlorous solution is represented as Free Available Chlorine (FAC) that has 80-200 times the sanitizing power of chlorine bleach. Since it is produced at a near-neutral pH, it won't bleach out furniture or clothes. This means you have the effectiveness of powerful sanitizing and disinfecting products with the toxicity associated with them.


Because our products are made by consumers as needed, there is less waste and significant savings on cleaning costs each year. On-site generation means there's also no need to keep potentially hazardous products in storage in your facility. Combined with on-site generation technology like our Instaflow system, you get a powerful sanitizing and disinfecting system that's ideal for hospitals and doctor's offices, schools and daycares, office buildings, malls, and any other public area where germs and bacteria thrive and are easily transferred. There really is no better way to keep your environment clean and healthy than with GenEon products. To learn more about how you can get GenEon into your facility, fill out the form here on our website and a representative will be happy to get back to you.


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