Highlights
- Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) remain a major issue in Canadian hospitals, clinics, and nursing homes.
- Traditional disinfectants like bleach and QACs are losing effectiveness and pose health risks.
- Antimicrobial resistance is a hidden driver of persistent HAIs.
- Patients, staff, and administrators increasingly demand safer disinfectants.
- Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) offers broad-spectrum disinfection that is non-toxic, fast-acting, and eco-friendly.
- Hospitals can adopt HOCl safely through possible alternative delivery systems.
This article is part of the Healthcare Disinfection Series on infection control in healthcare settings.
View the full Healthcare Disinfection Series: Infection Control in Canadian Healthcare Facilities
The Growing Challenge of Healthcare-Associated Infections
Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) continue to affect thousands of Canadians each year. Health Canada defines HAIs as infections acquired during care and emphasizes environmental cleaning as a critical part of infection prevention and control. These infections prolong hospital stays, increase costs, and in severe cases, lead to preventable loss of life.
Many healthcare facilities are now exploring how hypochlorous acid supports safer surface disinfection in environments where patients, staff, and visitors face repeated exposure to harsh cleaning chemicals. This growing focus reflects broader concerns around indoor air quality, staff exposure, and long-term infection control practices in healthcare settings.
For safe, Canadian made disinfectants designed for healthcare facilities, explore our School & Workplace Collection.
Why Traditional Disinfectants Are Falling Short
The persistence of HAIs highlights a fundamental problem: many of the disinfectants in use today are no longer keeping up. Common choices like bleach, hydrogen peroxide, and quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) carry serious drawbacks:
- Resistance to QACs: Over time, pathogens are adapting, making disinfectants less effective.
- Health risks for staff and patients: Harsh fumes irritate the lungs, skin, and eyes.
- Surface damage: Repeated use degrades equipment, tile, grout, and metals.
- Workflow challenges: Long dwell times and harsh smells disrupt daily operations.
A 2022 Environmental Science & Technology study also examined how disinfectant compounds used indoors may persist in wastewater and healthcare environments after repeated use. These concerns are contributing to broader discussions around safer disinfectant strategies in hospitals and long-term care settings.
These limitations affect both infection control outcomes and the day-to-day experience of healthcare staff working in busy clinical environments. The result is an ongoing cycle where disinfectants are used heavily, yet healthcare-associated infections remain difficult to control consistently across busy healthcare environments.
Antimicrobial Resistance: A Hidden Driver of HAIs
Federal surveillance links persistent HAIs in Canadian hospitals with antimicrobial resistance, highlighting the need for disinfectant strategies that minimize selection pressure. Outbreaks of MRSA, C. difficile, and other resistant pathogens continue despite rigorous cleaning schedules.
Some researchers are also examining whether repeated exposure to certain disinfectants, including quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), may contribute to microbial adaptation over time. A 2023 review published in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control examined how repeated exposure to quaternary ammonium compounds may contribute to microbial tolerance and potential antibiotic resistance concerns over time.
To reduce healthcare-associated infections more effectively, healthcare facilities are increasingly exploring disinfectants that pathogens may be less likely to adapt to over time. This growing concern is contributing to broader discussions around safer disinfectant strategies in hospitals and long-term care settings.
For other safe alternatives tailored for healthcare, visit our Safe Alternatives Collection.
What Healthcare Facilities Need in a Disinfectant
Modern healthcare settings demand disinfectants that balance safety, performance, and sustainability. The ideal solution should:
- Kill a wide range of pathogens, including spores.
- Work quickly to allow faster room turnover.
- Be safe for patients, staff, and delicate surfaces.
- Eliminate harsh odours that compromise indoor air quality.
- Be environmentally responsible.
Healthcare administrators must also consider workflow efficiency, staff comfort, and repeated daily exposure when evaluating disinfectant systems for long-term use.
Hypochlorous Acid: A Proven Path Forward
Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) checks every one of these boxes. Naturally produced by the human immune system, HOCl is a disinfectant with exceptional safety and effectiveness:
- Safe and non-toxic: No harmful fumes or skin irritation.
- Fast and effective: Broad-spectrum action against bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores.
- Eco-friendly: Biodegradable and free from VOCs.
- Trusted worldwide: Already used in hospitals, schools, and food facilities globally.
Researchers continue studying HOCl in healthcare environments because of its strong disinfectant performance against a wide range of pathogens, including organisms associated with healthcare-associated infections and antimicrobial resistance concerns.
Healthcare facilities in Canada can use HOCl confidently, knowing it is safe for patients, staff, and sensitive environments. Its versatility also allows healthcare teams to explore different delivery methods depending on institutional policies and operational needs.
The Spray Challenge in Hospitals
One concern is that spray bottles are discouraged in many hospital environments. However, hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is not limited to sprays alone. Other delivery mechanisms are possible, and some are already being tested in healthcare settings — including pre-saturated wipes, foaming solutions, and controlled misting or fogging devices.
Public Health Ontario notes that manual cleaning alone is often inconsistent, with missed surfaces and unmet wet-contact times. Alternative HOCl delivery formats may help healthcare facilities improve disinfectant coverage while still aligning with hospital infection-control policies. These approaches may also help facilities maintain more consistent disinfectant application across high-touch healthcare environments.
If alternative formats are of interest to your facility, please Contact Us to discuss opportunities. Discover HOCl-based disinfectants designed for professional environments in our School & Workplace Collection.
A Safer Future for Canadian Healthcare
Reducing healthcare-associated infections requires more than doing “more of the same.” Harsh disinfectants are proving inadequate and harmful, while antimicrobial resistance is accelerating the problem. Hypochlorous acid provides a proven, Canadian made solution that protects patients, staff, and the environment — without sacrificing effectiveness. As healthcare facilities continue evaluating safer disinfectant strategies, HOCl is gaining attention as an alternative to harsher chemical cleaning systems.
Take the first step toward safer disinfectants for your facility. Explore our School & Workplace Collection. for solutions that help reduce healthcare-associated infections.
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If you’d like to learn more about how hypochlorous acid can support infection control in Canadian healthcare, please Contact Us.
Frequently Asked Questions About Healthcare-Associated Infections and Safer Healthcare Disinfectants
Q1. What are healthcare-associated infections (HAIs)?
A. Healthcare-associated infections are infections patients acquire while receiving medical care in hospitals, clinics, or long-term care facilities. These infections can spread through contaminated surfaces, equipment, shared environments, or direct contact. Environmental cleaning and disinfectant practices are considered important parts of infection prevention programs in Canadian healthcare settings.
Q2. Why are some hospitals looking for alternatives to bleach and QAC disinfectants?
A. Traditional disinfectants like bleach and quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) can create challenges related to fumes, surface compatibility, and repeated chemical exposure for healthcare staff. Some pathogens may also become less responsive to certain disinfectant strategies over time. As a result, many facilities are evaluating safer disinfectant systems that still maintain strong infection-control performance.
Q3. What is hypochlorous acid (HOCl)?
A. Hypochlorous acid is a disinfecting compound naturally produced by the human immune system. In healthcare and sanitation environments, HOCl solutions are used to help reduce bacteria, viruses, fungi, and other pathogens on surfaces. Many facilities explore HOCl because it combines broad-spectrum disinfectant performance with a lower chemical burden than some traditional cleaning products.
Q4. Can hypochlorous acid be used without spray bottles in hospitals?
A. Yes. Although some hospitals discourage spray bottles in clinical environments, hypochlorous acid can also be delivered through alternative formats such as pre-saturated wipes, foaming systems, and controlled misting technologies. These approaches may help healthcare facilities align disinfectant practices with institutional infection-control policies.
Q5. Why is environmental cleaning important in healthcare settings?
A. High-touch surfaces in healthcare facilities can contribute to the spread of healthcare-associated infections when cleaning practices are inconsistent or incomplete. Effective environmental cleaning helps reduce contamination on patient-contact surfaces, shared equipment, and treatment areas. Consistent disinfectant coverage is often considered an important part of broader infection prevention and control strategies.
Sources
- Health Canada – Healthcare infection prevention and control
- PHAC – Healthcare-associated infections & antimicrobial resistance in Canadian hospitals
- Public Health Ontario – Best practices for environmental cleaning
- CADTH – Non-Manual Techniques for Room Disinfection in Healthcare Facilities
- CDC – Introduction to environmental cleaning
- Boyce JM. Quaternary ammonium disinfectants and antiseptics: tolerance, resistance and potential impact on antibiotic resistance. Published in Antimicrobial Resistance & Infection Control (2023).
- Arnold WA et al. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds: A Chemical Class of Emerging Concern. Published in Environmental Science & Technology (2023).
- Palau M. et al. In Vitro and In Vivo Antimicrobial Activity of Hypochlorous Acid against Drug-Resistant and Biofilm-Producing Strains. Published in Microbiology Spectrum (2022).
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