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.
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.
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.
The result? Hospitals and care facilities are left with high infection rates and staff dissatisfaction, even though disinfectants are being used daily.
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. To truly reduce HAIs, healthcare facilities must move toward disinfectants that pathogens cannot easily resist.
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.
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.
Healthcare facilities in Canada can use HOCl confidently, knowing it is safe for patients, staff, and sensitive environments.
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. Exploring additional delivery formats for HOCl could help overcome these challenges while still aligning with hospital infection control policies.
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. By adopting alternative delivery methods, hospitals and clinics can benefit from HOCl without violating spray restrictions.
Take the first step toward safer disinfectants for your facility. Explore our School & Workplace Collection. for solutions that help reduce healthcare-associated infections.
Contact Us
If you’d like to learn more about how hypochlorous acid can support infection control in Canadian healthcare, please Contact Us.
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