This product will not give off any gasses, leach onto other surfaces, or lose its strength over time. The unique properties of Common Sense Antimicrobial allow permanent bonding of the product to any surface to which it is applied. As long as this the surface is kept clean with normal cleaning procedures, the surface will continue to fight any microbial growth.

TSilanes are extremely efficient bonding agents that can be coupled to other molecules and then used to permanently bond those molecules to a target surface. Our antimicrobial silane modifies virtually any surface and transforms it into a material that will not support microbial growth.

Yes and no. The Common Sense active ingredient is an organofunctional silane, but part of the molecule is a quaternary compound. Unlike traditional “quats”, which have a limited kill spectrum, the Common Sense technology provides long-term protection and controls a wide range of microorganisms including bacteria, fungus, algae, and mold.

Conventional products penetrate living cells and kill by way of poisoning the organism or disrupting a vital life process. They are designed to act quickly and dissipate quickly. Most commercial antimicrobials used for treating surfaces do an adequate job of killing bacteria and fungi, although most have a limited range of effectiveness. The Common Sense technology takes a totally unique approach. It provides an effective initial microbial kill when applied, but, unlike the conventional methods, it also provides long-term control of growth on treated surfaces, often for the life of that surface. The surface itself is modified to make it antimicrobially active.

The Common Sense Hand Sanitizer and Surface Disinfectant technology has a mode of action that involves a positive charge and is effective against all bacteria, plus fungus, algae, and mold. A representative list of microbes against which the Common Sense Surface Sanitizer technology has been tested may be obtained by contacting our corporate office.

No. Since the antimicrobial is permanently bound to the surfaces it protects, it does not leach from the fabric to the skin or into the environment. Extensive toxicological testing shows the antimicrobial does not cross the skin barrier. In fact, Common Sense is so safe, that it is used on baby diapers to prevent diapers rash

The Common Sense active ingredient is 3-trimethoxysilylpropyloctade-cyldimethyl ammonium chloride.

No. The Common Sense products do NOT contain any heavy metals. Tin, arsenic, silver, and copper are often used in other antimicrobials.

For Soft Furnishing: The Common Sense products are applied in aqueous solution and can be inserted into almost any wet process during manufacturing at the mill. They can also be applied to finished goods. The antimicrobial is easily integrated into most jet, pad, and batch processes. The antimicrobial is cationic so it mixes well with other cationic and nonionic finishes (most softeners) and performs well in the same bath.
For Hard Surfaces: Common Sense Surface Sanitizer can be treated on any hard surfaces by either fogging, wipe down, soaking or paint rolling on the target substrate.

Since the cured antimicrobial is nonvolatile, insoluble, and non-leaching, the treatment should last for the life of the treated surface. The life of a treated surface depends on a number of factors, not the least of which is surface preparation. If you treat a dirty or unstable surface, when the dirt comes off or the surface is disturbed, some of the antimicrobials will be removed with it. Abrasive or caustic (pH>10.5) cleaners will also shorten effective life.

Yes. Common Sense antimicrobial is based on an active ingredient that, in most cases, can be easily detected. A simple method of detection is available to demonstrate the presence or absence of the treatment. Bromophenol Blue (BPB) stain testing clearly shows the presence of the Common Sense Surface Sanitizer in a matter of minutes.

Microbiological testing is what establishes the baseline standard that is used to give the BPB analytical procedure its validity for use as a QA and QC tool. Common Sense has experience in performing extensive microbiological tests such as bacterial retrievals, fungal growth tests (AATCC 30, ASTM G-21) and bacterial growth tests (AATCC 100, ASTM 2149-01).

Because of their exceptional chemical bond (a covalent bond), the bonded polymer is neither soluble nor volatile. The unique bond results in the Common Sense antimicrobial polymer becoming an integral part of the substrate.

No. Adaptation studies show that microbes do not adapt to the Common Sense antimicrobial.

No. Common Sense Antimicrobial does not volatilize, dissipate, or leach onto other surfaces. Its chemistry polymerizes where it is applied and forms a permanent bond that essentially lasts the life of the treated surface. Normal cleaning should not remove the treatment, although it can be abraded away.

Yes, moisture that is in or on the treated material/surface passes through the treatment. After curing, the treatment is somewhat hydrophobic (water repellent), but it should not be considered to be a replacement for commercial water repellents.

Common Sense Antimicrobial, because of its unique chemistry, provides long-term protection against regrowth and future contamination on treated surfaces. Abrasion will wear the coating down and require retreatment. Porous surfaces which are contaminated below the surface will occasionally experience some growth which breaks through a treated surface.

As long as there is not running water on the surface to be treated, Common Sense Antimicrobial will bond to the surface and provide protection. Preferably, the dryer the surface the better. To complete chemical bonding of Common Sense Antimicrobial, it is important that the surfaces be dried after treatment.

Yes. Common Sense Antimicrobial should actually improve the overall cooling performance of AC coils by minimizing organic fouling of surfaces. Common Sense Antimicrobial helps minimize the microbial attack and attachment to fin and tube surfaces. An added benefit of Common Sense Antimicrobial is its ability to act as a permanently bonded soil release agent, making the coils much easier to clean. Common Sense Antimicrobial, at application strength, has surfactant properties which cause excess treatment to run off. This prevents excess polymer buildup and potential heat transfer efficiency losses.

The surface of the coils must be thoroughly cleaned and any residue from the cleaning agents must be rinsed off. The final rinse should come through the coil without any signs of dirt or foaming from the cleaners. Even new AHU’s or coils should be carefully cleaned to remove any machining lubricants which remain from the fabrication process.

Most commercial antimicrobials used for treating building surfaces do a great job getting a quick kill on bacteria and fungi (although some have a limited spectrum of effectiveness). Conventional products penetrate living cells and kill by way of poisoning the organism. They are designed to act quickly and dissipate quickly to avoid adverse effects to humans and animals due to their toxic ingredients. Common Sense Antimicrobial takes a totally different approach. Like conventional antimicrobials it provides an effective initial microbial kill when it is applied, BUT, unlike the others, Common Sense Antimicrobial also provides long-term control of growth on treated surfaces. Common Sense Antimicrobial permanently modifies a surface to make them antimicrobial.

The active ingredient in Common Sense Antimicrobial forms a colorless, odorless, positively charged monomer which molecularly bonds to the treated surface. You could think of it as a layer of electrically charged swords. When a microorganism comes in contact with the treated surface, the quaternary amine “sword” punctures the cell membrane and the electrical charge “shocks” the cell. Since nothing is transferred to the now dead cell, the antimicrobial doesn’t lose strength and the “sword” is ready for the next cell to contact it. In order for Common Sense Antimicrobial to continue its effectiveness, normal cleaning of treated surfaces is necessary. Dirt buildup, paint, dead microbes, etc. will cover the treatment prohibiting it from killing microorganisms.

Yes. Common Sense prides itself on providing a superior product to all those in need of controlling and prohibiting microbial growth on interior surfaces. Therefore, to ensure proper use of Common Sense Antimicrobial, each applicator receives four hours of classroom training and four to six hours of on-site training. In addition, they receive a training manual and ongoing access to our technical expertise.

For best results, surfaces should be thoroughly cleaned and any residue from cleaning agents must be rinsed from the surfaces to be treated. The final rinse should come off without any signs of dirt or foaming from the cleaners.

In the simplest terms, a 2% solution (2.5 ounces to a gallon of water) is made and sprayed on the surface in an even and uniform pattern. How fast the solution is applied is based on how porous the surfaces are. The more porous a surface, the slower application. Apply from the top down; starting with the ceiling and finishing with the floor. Furniture and other items should be moved to another room if possible. Anything which stays in the room and could be damaged by water should be covered. Use pads under any metal legs or slides to avoid rust stains. Opening of windows and the use of fans will be used to speed drying.

A covalent bond is a type of chemical bond that involves the sharing of electrons between two atoms. In this type of bond, each atom contributes one or more electrons to the shared pair, forming a stable molecule. Covalent bonds can be either polar or nonpolar, depending on the electronegativity difference between the atoms involved. In a polar covalent bond, electrons are shared unequally between atoms with different electronegativities, while in a nonpolar covalent bond, electrons are shared equally between atoms with similar electronegativities.