Efficacy of an Alcohol - Free, Citrate Based Agent ‘Clinister’ as a Surface Disinfectant Against Common Bacterial and Fungal Contaminants

Surface disinfection is essential for the prevention of infection in the households, hospitals, laboratories and other high-risk areas. The current surface disinfectants in use such as Phenolic compounds, Quaternary ammonium compounds, Aldehydes, Sodium hypochlorite etc., have associated health hazards. Clinister is an alcohol-free, citric acid based disinfectant routinely in use for disinfection in the Food Industry in Japan. In this study, the efficacy of Clinister for surface disinfection was assessed by contact plate method in a microbiological lab set-up in India. The Clinister powder was mixed with water at appropriate concentrations and applied over the surfaces of instruments, tables and the floor employing standard disinfection protocols. The microbiological sampling was done by applying the contact plate with the surfaces before and after application of Clinister, following which the plates were incubated. After incubation for six hours, there was a significant reduction in the number of colony forming units (CFUs) of the organisms isolated from these surfaces which were Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus spp., Micrococcus spp., Penicillium spp and A. fumigates. Thus, use of Clinister as a surface disinfectant is recommended in hospitals, laboratories, households, child care centres, public areas, poultry etc., wherever the risk of spread of infection is high.