Hot water high-pressure cleaners: Fighting viruses, germs and bacteria with high pressure and heat
Intensive and meticulous cleaning with hot water high-pressure cleaners makes it possible to achieve high standards of hygiene. Not only can places be reached that are difficult to access manually, these machines are particularly useful for cleaning and disinfecting large areas such as ceilings, walls and floors, and are effective in combating germs, bacteria and viruses.
Advantages of hot water high-pressure cleaners
The use of hot water high-pressure cleaners accelerates the cleaning by up to 40 per cent compared with cold-water machines on account of the faster drying process for the clean surfaces. With the use of hot water high-pressure cleaners, work is carried out with a water temperature of up to 85 °C. When the steam stage is used, cleaning can even be performed with temperatures of up to 155 °C.
In addition to the better results and faster cleaning and drying times, hot water high-pressure cleaners are a great advantage thanks to their germ-reducing effect, in particular in hygiene-sensitive areas such as animal sheds in agriculture, in large kitchens or in the food industry.
Disinfectant effect: Heat as a key factor for greater hygiene
The use of cleaning agents and disinfectants plays an important role in cleaning processes. But what many people do not know is that hot water also makes a significant contribution to fighting disease-carrying germs. With the use of high-pressure cleaners, the water temperature has a significant effect on the reduction of germs, as well as viral and bacterial colonies. Thanks to the combination of high pressure and the hot water at a temperature of up to 85 °C, a substantial reduction of contamination is achieved. This germ reduction is often sufficient without the use of disinfectants in order to satisfy hygiene requirements. In order to support the effect of hot water, the addition of disinfectant by the high-pressure cleaner is recommended.
Heated high-pressure cleaners are especially suitable in areas where maximum hygiene is required and micro-organisms and contamination are targeted during cleaning. This applies not only in the food sector – from the artisan butcher to large-scale industrial production – but also in agriculture, where it essential to pay attention to cleanliness in milking parlours or to prevent animal diseases. Also for the cleaning of public places, in train stations or playgrounds, users can benefit from the efficacy of hot-water machines.
Certification for Kärcher hot water high-pressure cleaners
Within the framework of a quantitative suspension test, the viral reduction capacity of Kärcher high-pressure cleaners with a hot water function was evaluated in an independent laboratory. A test with comparable parameters was reconstructed without the application of a hot water high-pressure cleaner, and, using a simulated temperature profile, the efficacy of the machines at different temperatures on various test viruses was validated.
The result: Already from a water temperature of 65 ° C – when applied to a contaminated surface – and with a contact time of under one minute, enveloped viruses such as corona, influenza, ebolavirus and hantavirus can be effectively reduced. Non-enveloped adenoviruses are effectively fought from 75 °C and a with contact time of less than five minutes.
The disinfectant effect is thus proved and the machines are classified as "limited virucidal PLUS" in accordance with the effective range defined by the Robert Koch Institute. This designation applies to products that can deactivate all enveloped viruses, such as corona, influenza or HI viruses, as well as the non-enveloped adeno-, rota- and noroviruses. The effectiveness thus covers the viruses that are particularly often responsible for disease outbreaks.
Cleaning agents
For cleaning with high-pressure cleaners, additional suitable cleaning agents should be applied with the cup foam lance in order to interrupt infection chains and remove all dirt residues. One advantage of cleaning foam is that it is so stable that it adheres to surfaces, thus increasing the contact time and cleaning power. The subsequent flushing with water helps to carry the dirty away in a controlled manner, thus preventing renewed contamination. Bio-degradable cleaning agents can further support this process. In addition, it is necessary to alternate between acid-based and alkaline foam cleaning products in order to remove the basis of life for micro-organisms.
