Single-Use Wipes Are Making Germs Stronger, with John Shanahan of Ionogen

Did you know that the leading blue glass cleaner can kill you? Were you aware that the single-use wipes that many of us have in our kitchens and bathrooms are also putting our health at risk? At least, that’s what our guest today claims after years of research and industry experience.

John Shanahan, President & CEO of Ionogen, was recently at a social function and was questioned by another guest who heard his latest podcast appearance and begged to differ that the products were harmful. After Shanahan read the ingredient list and then asked again if she would use the product around her four-year-old granddaughter, she had a very different take on the safety of the products.

Why aren’t more Americans reading labels and what does a more practical sanitation solution look like? Shanahan’s research has pointed to single-use wipes potentially causing cancer, and yet most people aren’t aware of this because there aren’t many options to choose from. There isn’t a lot of new chemistry from product to product. Looking at the legacy brands (with 100+ years of retailing), they all use quaternary ammonium as a major ingredient, which can be extremely harmful to humans.

The second problem is that these wipes are often misused. Wiping the toilet seat or bathroom counter is “like a snow plow in Chicago in January,” Shanahan said. “It just starts pushing the germs.”

On this podcast, Shanahan explains how Americans are misusing both consumer-grade and commercial-level single-use wipes, why this is especially problematic for hospitals, and what the alternatives are.

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