Bio Shield Technologies

At BioShieldTech.com, we are proud to work with many people in the health field, helping them to choose the best products from our lineup to suit their needs. Among those we work with often are the people in charge of keeping emergency response vehicles clean and well-stocked with supplies. DuPont RelyOn MDC is probably our most popular product chosen for the purpose of cleaning EMS vehicles for many reasons, including its portability, ease of use, cost effectiveness, and importantly, ability to clean and disinfect in one step. It effectively kills many viruses on hard surfaces, including HIV, VRE, Hepatitis A, B and C, and MRSA.

MRSA, or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, has been getting a lot of media attention in recent years as the number of people contracting MRSA grew. Suddenly, this bacterium that the general public had never heard of before was spreading, and presenting itself as a major problem in hospitals, where many patients are already struggling with a weakened immune system. In short, the need for disinfectants effective against MRSA was at the top of everyone’s medical supply list, from the Emergency Room to the emergency response vehicles.

But one place we hadn’t thought of as a hiding place for MRSA – a hiding place where it could spread like – pardon the pun – wildfire, was the fire station. Of course, fire trucks are emergency response vehicles as well, but most of our emergency response customers are shopping for ambulance supplies. It wasn’t until we read an article on EMSWorld.com about a study inside Washington fire stations that we considered the necessity of keeping these locations and the vehicles within them disinfected as well.  A study performed by the University of Washington, and initiated by Firefighter/Paramedic Kevin Fetter, returned shocking results. According to the article, not only were greater than 4% of the surfaces tested within the firehouse testing positive for MRSA, but nose swabs taken from responders revealed MRSA levels more than 10x that of the general populace average. While these results were not a good thing unto themselves, they did yield a positive change – sanitation stations were installed, new guidelines enacted ruling what can and cannot come into the station from the garage, and stricter standards for the washing of turnout gear instituted.

We consider the crews working at the Snohomish County fire stations very lucky to have Kevin Fetter looking out for them. As firefighters know all too well, prevention is among the strongest defenses available, and this study may have helped them prevent major health problems before they had a chance to happen. If you work in a fire station and have questions about how DuPont RelyOn MDC can help you clean and disinfect your station and gear, please give us a call at 717-489-1728. We’d love to work with you to help create an effective strategy with the right products.

We’re all familiar with what may be the best ad campaign ever born – Smokey Bear pointing his paw calling us all to remember that “Only YOU Can Prevent Forest Fires!” To borrow from one of the best bears around, only YOU can prevent the spread of MRSA. With a little help from products like DuPont RelyOn MDC, of course!

We have highlighted HandClens in past posts as a great hand sanitizer choice for schools, as its alcohol free and moisturizing formula is gentle on skin and importantly, non flammable. But it wasn’t until recently that we realized how important an alcohol free formula is for drug and alcohol treatment centers as well. It is of the utmost importance for the safety of the patients, and the progress of their battle against addiction, that products containing alcohol not be available to them, be it hand sanitizer, mouthwash, or any number of personal care products that often contain alcohol as an active ingredient. Fortunately, there are many top-quality alcohol free formulas of these products available today, with HandClens being among them.

What initially drew our attention to the need for alcohol free hand sanitizers for clinics and treatment centers was the interest and inquiries we began receiving from those who work there. It may seem strange that we hadn’t thought of it before, but sometimes you think you know everything there is to know about a product without realizing it’s even better than you previously thought! Our curiosity piqued, we ran a little research to see if abuse of alcohol based hand sanitizers was becoming a widespread problem outside of treatment centers, and were truly surprised to find a recent article on suite101.com about just that. The article, Police Concerned About Hand Sanitizer Abuse, notes that extracting alcohol from alcohol based hand sanitizers is actually quite simple, and that large scale access to hand sanitizer (stores, banks, etc.) has led to many people stealing them to extract the alcohol for drinking.

While we do recommend HandClens alcohol free hand sanitizer for everyone, as it’s a product we personally use and enjoy every day, we are especially glad to carry a product that can make a difference for those suffering with addiction. If you work for a drug and alcohol treatment center or rehabilitation clinic, please feel free to reach out to us at 717-489-1728 for more information about how HandClens can fit your needs. We offer many sizes of HandClens, from personal 1.7 ounce bottles to touchless hand sanitizer dispensers, and we’d love to work with you to put together the best combination for your facility.

We all know people that wear those White Lab Coats.  But have you ever stopped to ask yourself why doctors wear them?  It’s gotten to the point where it just seems natural to see a doctor in a lab coat.  We here at BioShieldTech.com thought you might be curious about it, so here are some neat lab coat facts.

Why wear a lab coat?

Lab Coats are worn in labs and doctors’ offices to protect the wearers’ skin and clothing from splatters and spills of biological and chemical matter.  It’s basically the same reason an artist wears a smock.  The difference is, the stuff on a lab coat can be potentially harmful.  That’s why the lab coats are white.  It just makes it easier to see exactly where any rogue matter is on the coat.  It would be awfully difficult to find anything on a blue or black lab coat, that’s for sure.

In the event of a dangerous spill, it’s easier to quickly remove a lab coat than it is to remove your street clothes.  Your lab coat should always be fully buttoned with the sleeves rolled down.  This offers the most protection.

BioShieldTech.com offers 3 styles of Antimicrobial Lab Coats from Bio Gardz. These lab coats have been treated with an antimicrobial agent, and provide 100% protection against blood and fluid strike through. The difference between the 3 styles is in the sleeve – one style features traditional sleeves, another Velcro closure cuffs, and the third is a knit cuff lab coat. Each is unisex and 40” in length.

When you should take your lab coat off

Your lab coat is important, but there are definitely times when you need to take it off.  The whole point of a lab coat is to keep dangerous materials where they should be.  So you should never wear a lab coat in public places, lunch rooms, or anywhere outside the lab.  That defeats the purpose of the lab coat.

Additionally, you should never bring your lab coat home.  It’s supposed to stay in the lab.  And it really should go without saying, but you should never wash your lab coat with the rest of the laundry.  You might contaminate the other clothing. Additionally, more strict washing standards are to be met for lab coats than standard laundry would require or even withstand in many cases.

Lab coats are meant to keep everybody safe, and that’s what we’re all about here at BioShieldTech.com!

OK, so the scenario itself probably bears little resemblance to an actual game of laser tag, wherein laughing friends duck behind walls and props to avoid getting “tagged” by the laser from a toy gun. But not resembling this scenario isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as E. coli is truly not a laughing matter. The majority of Americans are lucky enough to have running water in their homes that has been treated and is suitable for consumption and various household uses. Sure, a water filter often improves the taste and further cleans the water, but the fact that we have the treated water is a luxury all its own, without considering the luxury of the filter.

While we all know that the indescribable benefits of consumable drinking water are not a privilege enjoyed worldwide, we also know that while clean water runs in our homes, not all the water in our developed country is as clean as what comes from our faucets. As is the case on surfaces, the contaminants that may or may not be in water are often invisible to the naked eye, and even in instances where contamination is confirmed, addressing that contamination can be a long, uphill battle. According to sify news, that’s where laser technology comes in.

Researchers from Purdue University Calumet are experimenting with a laser technique to help identify the source of bacterial contamination in affected waters, a task they note is typically difficult. Using a laser “to detect and monitor the microbe in potentially contaminated bodies of water or waterways” they aim to more easily identify “the host species of E. coli in a sample” so cleanup efforts can bring contaminated waters to a level that is acceptable for fishing and swimming.

As with most situations, it is tricky at best to remediate a problem without knowledge of its source, and everyone here at BioShieldTech.com is excited to see how this technology will benefit not only our own waters, but waters worldwide.

While dolphins themselves haven’t been known to frequent research labs, that doesn’t mean they aren’t a hot topic within them! A recent article on The Independent highlights current nanotechnological research in Singapore that aims to foster the creation of an anti-bacterial surface that draws its inspiration from what may seem an unlikely place – dolphin skin.

Anyone who has been lucky enough to pet a dolphin knows how unique their skin truly is, with a primary characteristic being its slickness. The article mentions that it is not the slickness factor alone that researchers wish to mimic in the new anti-microbial surface, but also the “luminescence, adhesiveness, water-proofing, and anti-reflectivity.” It is the “anti-fouling properties” researchers want the new surface to possess, which dolphin skin does naturally. The goal is that this would allow the surface to inhibit the growth of pathogens including S. aureus and E. coli.

The team at BioShieldTech.com wishes nothing but the best for the team of researchers behind this noble project, and we’re looking forward to what will hopefully be another amazing advance in the battle against microbial growth!

Image courtesy of: 6keysoptimalhealth.blogspot.com

While you probably won’t ever find yourself actually requesting Listeria with your lunchmeat – or any other meal for that matter – anyone who has ever suffered the consequences of consuming Listeria-tainted food will surely tell you that they didn’t request it either, but were served what seemed to be quite a generous portion. Listeria is a foodborne pathogen that can be found in meats, dairy and vegetables. While some may consume food tainted with Listeria and suffer little ill-effect, the results are especially problematic for others, and can in some instances even be fatal. One common group of people warned against lunchmeat due to the threat of Listeria are pregnant women, as they are among the aforementioned groups most strongly affected by this contaminant. Other people especially at risk include infants, the elderly, and anyone with a weakened immune system.

But Listeria is not without an enemy, and that favorable foe to Listeria is the food preservative Nisin. While Nisin is effective at protecting food against Listeria, and is in fact the only known protection available, it is only effective for a very short period of time. But that may be about to change.

We learned recently through an article on GenEngNews.com that a research team at Purdue University has “developed a nanoparticle that can hold and release an antimicrobial agent as needed for extending the shelf life of foods susceptible to Listeria monocytogenes.” Through altering the surface of phytoglycogen, a carbohydrate present in sweet corn, Yuan Yao of the Purdue research team was able to create several forms of a nanoparticle that attracts and stabilizes Nisin for a slow release that protects foods longer. You know that deodorant that kicks into overdrive when you’re stressed? Kind of like that, but much more important. Yao believes a sufficient amount of Nisin could be harnessed to battle Listeria in foods for up to 3 weeks, greatly extending the shelf life.

Everyone at Bio Shield Technologies congratulates the Purdue research team behind this exciting development, and we look forward to your continued discoveries and success that will invariably benefit us all!

Are you thinking about opening a tattoo parlor?  Aside from learning how to tattoo, there are many other things that you need to keep in mind.  First of all, know that there aren’t any federal regulations to govern tattoo parlors.  The cleanliness and sanitary conditions in tattoo parlors are actually monitored by individual states.  In fact, some places across the country don’t have any regulations when it comes to tattoo parlors.  So if you’re going to work in or open a tattoo parlor, it’s up to you to ensure it’s kept clean.  With the advanced products available from Bio Shield Technologies, you can make sure that your tattoo parlor is cleaned and disinfected!

Each tattoo artist in the tattoo parlor should wash his or her hands before tattooing a patron.  It’s also extremely important for tattoo artists to wear hand protection, like these Ansell Gloves, during the procedure. Gloves should be used just once, and disposed of properly after use. Think of giving a tattoo the way you would any medical or surgical procedure – cleanliness is of the upmost importance.  Likewise, a different tattooing needle should be used for each new patron, and then sterilized after it has been used before proper disposal.  Chairs and beds used during the tattooing procedures should be cleaned and disinfected with Professional Disinfectants and Cleaners, available from Bio Shield Tech.

If you keep everything in your tattoo parlor clean and disinfected, you can help ensure that your parlor is one that tattoo clients think of first when they’re looking for fresh ink.  But if the unthinkable happens, you should be aware that infections can become serious quite quickly.  If one of your tattoo artists becomes aware of an infection from a tattoo that he or she has given, they must then report the infection to the local health department.

For many of us, myself included, the contents of the Christmas stocking are the most exciting gifts of all. Sure, the iPad, Nintendo Wii, and laptop computer are more than amazing in their own right, but they still don’t beat the fun of all the little essentials and novelties that our loved ones tuck away into that swinging sock on the mantel. Stocking stuffers can range anywhere from pens and pencils to candies, key chains, and car air fresheners, just to name a few of the innumerable options. And with this wide variety in mind – and the fact that many stocking stuffers are the everyday, little luxuries that it’s so nice to have someone else buy for us – we decided to highlight a few items on our site that make unique but fantastically useful stocking stuffers. Because as nice as that car air freshener smells, it isn’t going to do too much to kill bacteria and help keep us healthy in the New Year!

Alcohol Free HandClens – What’s so special about the 1.7 ounce HandClens foaming hand sanitizer? For one, it’s perfectly portable. Toss it in a backpack or your desk drawer, and you’ll have a superior sanitation solution at your fingertips. But in addition to that, the best thing about HandClens is the product itself. It’s alcohol free, so doesn’t sting hands, and is safe for kids to take to school. It contains allantoin, a natural moisturizer, so in addition to not drying out your hands, it actually hydrates them! It also kills 99.99% of germs on contact, and continues to protect your hands even after it has dried.

PureGreen24 Disinfectant – Are there stockings to be stuffed at your home that belong to people who love a powerful disinfectant, but want something that is also safe to use without protective equipment, and gentler on the planet that many of its competitors? PureGreen24 makes a perfect gift for such people, and one of several sizes we offer this unique disinfectant in is 4 ounce bottles. Available as a three-pack, each bottle is just over $5 each, making for an economical stocking stuffer they’re sure to love! While this isn’t your typical stocking stuffer, it is a very useful one, and its compact size makes it easy to keep on hand at work where it’s ideal for disinfecting desks, keyboards, telephones, door handles and more. Regular disinfection goes a long way during cold and flu season!

DuPont RelyOn Antiseptic Hand Wipes – The most portable product we carry, our DuPont RelyOn Antiseptic Hand Wipes are, in our opinion, simply the best at what they do. Each box contains 100 individual wipes, which can easily be carried in pockets and purses for a quick clean wherever you may be. For less than 30 cents per wipe, you can always have a powerful hand antiseptic at the ready to combat bacteria and viruses that you may come into contact with throughout your day. Just like the HandClens mentioned above, these antiseptic wipes contain a skin-softening ingredient to protect your hands against painful chapping and drying. We are constantly at risk of touching contaminated surfaces, and while many are unavoidable, we can protect ourselves after contact with uniquely powerful products such as these.

We hope we gave you some ideas that you find interesting and useful, and we also hope that Santa stops by your house with everything you asked for this year!

Simply put, it’s a dirty world out there, but luckily there are many professional grade products to help us clean it up and help keep surfaces sanitized. One such popular product is DuPont RelyOn Disinfectant Wipes. BioShieldTech.com offers these easy-to-use, pop-up container wipes in convenient cases of 12, with a generous 160 wipes per canister for small wipes, and cases of 6 with 65 wipes per canister for larger wipes. A RelyOn wall bracket helps to keep the wipes at your fingertips in a reliable location. Anyone who has worked in a medical facility, gym, spa, or any other location with multiple employees knows how often necessary items can’t be found when they’re needed! A wall bracket ensures the wipes won’t be moved from location to location while also saving space on counters and tabletops where every inch of free space is at a premium.

These top-of-the-line RelyOn Disinfectant Wipes are a powerful performer against Hepatitus A, B and C, as well as a host of other microorganisms including HIV, E. coli, Herpes simplex type 1 and 2, Influenza and RSV. Used as directed, these wipes are tuberculocidal, bacteriocidal, virucidal and fungicidal, important attributes in reducing the germs that lead to disease and infection.

Most of us come into contact with dozens, if not hundreds, of people each day, directly or indirectly. At work we are sharing keyboards and telephones and touching door handles – while shopping we are touching shelves, hangers and dressing room doors that countless people have touched before us. It is a world full of people and potential cross-contamination, and regular cleaning and disinfecting with products such as DuPont RelyOn helps to keep that cross-contamination in check.

Are you looking for a disinfectant wipe from a company that is among the most trusted and revered in its industry? We hope you’ll consider investing in DuPont Relyon Wipes for your hospital, dental office, clinic, gym, spa, school, or any other of the countless facilities that can benefit from a superior solution in broad spectrum disinfection!

What words come to mind when you think of a spa? Soothing, tranquil, relaxing, refreshing, and rejuvenating are a few that top my list. But just like any facility where many people are sharing the same tubs, tables, soakers, saunas and more, disinfection of surfaces is of paramount importance to those in charge of ensuring the spa is as clean as it is calming. And for as important as disinfection is, in settings such as a spa (and really anywhere!), it is also important that the spa not smell of harsh chemicals. After all, you can only light so many green tea-scented candles, and they can delicately scent the air much more easily if they aren’t battling the aroma of bleach! So what are spa owners and operators to do? Cleanliness can’t be compromised, but they also can’t afford to disregard the necessary nurturing of a serene environment. That’s where PureGreen24 can help assure no compromises need to be made.

PureGreen24 is a gentle yet powerful product that makes a solid selection as a Spa Disinfectant Spray. It is odorless, colorless, and non-corrosive, so you won’t have to worry about filling the air with strong odors or damaging your equipment with caustic chemicals. When used as directed, PureGreen24 requires no special protective equipment in its use, yet it sanitizes hard surfaces 20 times faster than leading disinfectants, and deodorizes as well. Yes…20 times faster! It also brings a unique 24-hour Active Surface Kill, which means that for a full 24 hours after you have used PureGreen24 to disinfect everything from massage tables to bathroom door handles, it continues to kill dangerous viruses including HIV, Influenza, Rhinovirus and MRSA.

You know how important it is to ensure that everyone who works in and visits your spa or health club is treated to a disinfected facility. And PureGreen24 knows how important it is to bring that disinfection solution in an easy and enjoyable-to-use formula. So skip the bleach as a hard surface disinfectant, and consider using PureGreen24 as your Spa Disinfectant Spray of choice. Backed by the power of silver and citric acid, this product makes the most of some of nature’s most powerful ingredients!