Water and ozone washing machines: bye bye bacteria, viruses and bad smells

Let us shed some light on this natural and environmentally friendly method of washing to understand its advantages during the pandemic.

Ozone - a natural gas and one of the major oxidising agents in nature - on contact with water, becomes pure oxygen and acts by breaking down organic substances. In the specific case of viruses, it acts directly on their lipid membrane, making them inactive.

Being a rather unstable molecule, however, it cannot be stored and must be produced at the time of use, which is why it cannot be added in tablet form when needed. To produce it are required  oxygen and electrical discharges capable of transforming 3 atoms of O2 into 2 atoms of O3 for the duration of the washing bath (normally 6 to 8 minutes).

Completely ecological and natural, this powerful disinfectant offers other benefits in addition to its sanitising action:

• It acts on viruses, bacteria, fungi, moulds and spores;
• it's effective at low temperatures;
• allows to use fewer chemicals: the oxidising action 'consumes' the stains (even if it does not eliminate them completely);
• it avoids the use of softener, thanks to the detangling function of ozone (especially if it used in the last rinse) and facilitates the following drying phase;
• it doesn't require any special discharge into the sewerage system, being, at the end of the process, simple oxygen.

However, attention must be paid to some particularities of this washing solution:

• The stain consumed/oxidised by ozone requires a synthetic type of detergent to be removed. Ozone, in fact, makes natural or enzymatic detergents inactive;
• using natural or enzymatic detergents is possible only if the ozone will be used in the last rinse. Although the disinfectant/sanitising power of ozone remains, it is good to know that this solution is not recommended for hospital and nursing home environments;
• in the case of coloured garments, especially in case of natural pigments, some loss of colour may occur. To remedy this, you should use the ozone only in the last rinse. The action time should be 4 minutes.

Our washing machines are Ozone Ready

Ozone and water washing is, therefore, a very powerful method against Covid-19 (and more) ensuring maximum hygiene, cleanliness and sanitisation of linen, with the advantage of being natural and environmentally friendly, since it requires less chemicals and a lower operating temperature than other methods.

Two features that fit perfectly with our production philosophy. That's why we are pleased to mention that our GWH, GWM, GWN washing machines are all Ozone Ready, i.e. they can be equipped with the ozone dosing system and easily connected to a generator or to ozonated water supply systems.

Would you like to know more about this washing method? Go to the Ozone Ready washing machine page or contact us!