Alcoholic compositions with improved properties and methods for evaluating interaction of the compositions with surfaces

Abstract

A method is provided for measuring the interaction of a disinfecting composition with a floor wax. The method include coating a surface with floor wax, allowing the coating to dry, applying a selected amount of disinfecting composition to the coated surface, and measuring, after a pre-determined amount of time, the tack of the surface, by using a controlled force measurement inverted probe machine. A detectable amount of tack indicates that the disinfecting composition has interacted with the floor wax. Alternatively, any tacky residue on the dried product surface may be sampled and analyzed by Fourier transform spectroscopy. Absorption at a wavelength associated with the floor wax indicates that the product has interacted with the floor wax. A foamable disinfecting composition having reduced interaction with floor wax is also provided.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A method for evaluating the interaction of an alcoholic disinfecting composition with a floor wax, the method comprising the steps of:
 (A) selecting and preparing a waxed floor surface,   (B) providing an alcoholic disinfecting composition test product,   (C) applying the test product to the prepared floor surface to create one or more spots,   (D) exposing the floor surface to pedestrian traffic, wherein said traffic deposits dirt to the one or more spots,   (D) observing and evaluating the spots, and   (E) applying a cleaning solution to the floor surface to determine the cleanability of the spots, wherein greater cleanability indicates less interaction of the test product with the floor wax.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the waxed floor surface is a vinyl composite tile (VCT) floor surface. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said floor surface includes a factory wax coating or a floor wax coating, and wherein said step of selecting and preparing said floor surface comprises stripping the factory coating or floor wax coating from the floor surface, and then applying a floor wax coating. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the disinfecting composition test product is a non-aerosol foamable alcoholic composition that comprises:
 at least about 40 wt. % of a C 1-6  alcohol, based upon the total weight of the disinfecting composition;   a siloxane-based polymer surfactant;   from about 0.4 to about 5 wt. % of glycerin, based upon the total weight of the composition;   optionally, one or more foam enhancers;   optionally, one or more humectants;   optionally, one or more carriers; and   optionally, one or more auxiliary antimicrobial agents.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the composition comprises from about 0.002 to about 4 wt. % of the siloxane-based polymer surfactant, based upon the total weight of the disinfecting composition, and wherein the siloxane-based polymer surfactant is selected from the group consisting of dimethicone PEG-7 undecylenate, PEG-10 dimethicone, PEG-8 dimethicone, PEG-12 dimethicone, perfluorononylethyl carboxydecal PEG 10, PEG-20/PPG-23 dimethicone, PEG-11 methyl ether dimethicone, bis-PEG/PPG-20/20 dimethicone, silicone quats, PEG-9 dimethicone, PPG-12 dimethicone, fluoro PEG-8 dimethicone, PEG 23/PPG 6 dimethicone, PEG 20/PPG 23 dimethicone, PEG 17 dimethicone, PEG5/PPG3 methicone, bis PEG20 dimethicone, PEG/PPG20/15 dimethicone copolyol and sulfosuccinate blends, PEG-8 dimethicone\dimmer acid blends, PEG-8 dimethicone\fatty acid blends, PEG-8 dimethicone\cold pressed vegetable oil\polyquaternium blends, random block polymers and mixtures thereof 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the amount of glycerin relative to the amount of siloxane polymer surfactant, on a weight basis, is from about 1:0.5 to about 1:7. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said step of applying the test product to the prepared floor surface includes the step of establishing a gridded test section on the floor surface, and applying the test product to the test section. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the gridded test section is about 6 feet (ft.) wide and about 6 ft. long. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein a measured amount of the test product is applied to multiple locations on the gridded test section, and allowed to dry for about 12 to about 18 hours before said step of exposing the surface to traffic. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said step of observing and evaluating said spots includes rating the color of the spot against a color scale. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein said step of determining the cleanability of said spots includes scraping the spots, rubbing the spots with a cleaning pad, or scrubbing the sports with an automatic scrubber, and then observing and re-evaluating the spots. 
     
     
         26 . A non-aerosol foamable alcoholic composition that comprises:
 at least about 40 wt. % of a C 1-6  alcohol, based upon the total weight of the disinfecting composition;   a siloxane-based polymer surfactant;   from about 0.4 to about 5 wt. % of glycerin, based upon the total weight of the composition;   optionally, one or more foam enhancers;   optionally, one or more humectants;   optionally, one or more carriers; and   optionally, one or more auxiliary antimicrobial agents, wherein the composition exhibits reduced interaction with floor wax when compared to the same composition but containing less than about 0.4 wt. % of glycerin, based upon the total weight of the composition.   
     
     
         27 . A method for reducing the interaction of an alcoholic non-aerosol foaming disinfecting composition with floor wax, the method comprising the steps of:
 providing an alcoholic non-aerosol foaming disinfecting composition,   adding from about 0.4 to about 5 wt. % of glycerin to the alcoholic non-aerosol foaming disinfecting composition to form an interaction-reduced composition, wherein the amount of glycerin is based upon the total weight of the interaction-reduced composition, wherein the interaction-reduced composition exhibits reduced interaction with floor wax when compared to the same composition but containing less than about 0.4 wt. % of glycerin, based upon the total weight of the composition.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the disinfecting composition test product is a non-aerosol foamable alcoholic composition that comprises:
 at least about 40 wt. % of a C 1-6  alcohol, based upon the total weight of the disinfecting composition;   a siloxane-based polymer surfactant;   optionally, one or more foam enhancers;   optionally, one or more humectants;   optionally, one or more carriers; and   optionally, one or more auxiliary antimicrobial agents.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the non-aerosol foamable alcoholic composition comprises from about 0.002 to about 4 wt. % of the siloxane-based polymer surfactant, based upon the total weight of the disinfecting composition, and wherein the siloxane-based polymer surfactant is selected from the group consisting of dimethicone PEG-7 undecylenate, PEG-10 dimethicone, PEG-8 dimethicone, PEG-12 dimethicone, perfluorononylethyl carboxydecal PEG 10, PEG-20/PPG-23 dimethicone, PEG-11 methyl ether dimethicone, bis-PEG/PPG-20/20 dimethicone, silicone quats, PEG-9 dimethicone, PPG-12 dimethicone, fluoro PEG-8 dimethicone, PEG 23/PPG 6 dimethicone, PEG 20/PPG 23 dimethicone, PEG 17 dimethicone, PEG5/PPG3 methicone, bis PEG20 dimethicone, PEG/PPG20/15 dimethicone copolyol and sulfosuccinate blends, PEG-8 dimethicone\dimmer acid blends, PEG-8 dimethicone\fatty acid blends, PEG-8 dimethicone\cold pressed vegetable oil\polyquaternium blends, random block polymers and mixtures thereof 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the amount of glycerin relative to the amount of siloxane polymer surfactant, on a weight basis, is from about 1:0.5 to about 1:7. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the interaction of the disinfecting composition is measured by a method comprising the steps of:
 coating a surface with floor wax,   allowing the coating to dry,   applying a selected amount of disinfecting composition to the coated surface, and   measuring, after a pre-determined amount of time, the tack of the surface, by using a controlled force measurement inverted probe machine, wherein a detectable amount of tack indicates that the disinfecting composition has interacted with the floor wax.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the interaction of the disinfecting composition is measured by a method comprising the steps of:
 coating a surface with floor wax,   allowing the coating to dry,   applying a selected amount of disinfecting composition to the coated surface,   allowing the disinfecting composition to dry, thereby forming a disinfectant layer,   sampling the disinfectant layer, by swabbing or blotting the disinfectant layer,   testing the sample by Fourier Transform Infrared analysis,   measuring the absorption of the sample at a pre-selected wavelength that correlates to the floor wax control and that does not correlate to the disinfecting composition, wherein measurable absorbance at said wavelength provides confirmation that interaction has occurred.