Quick Links:
- About Gard’n Clean
- Gard’n Clean’s Easy to Use System
- The Gard’n Clean Calculator
- What are the benefits of 99.9% pure chlorine dioxide?
- Gard’nClean Biocidal Efficacy versus Your Other Options
- Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2) vs. Chlorine (bleach)
- Advantages of Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2)
- Disadvantages of Bleach
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Fact Sheet
- Quick Reference
- Resources
- Featured Products
About Gard'nClean
Germs and bacteria are not able to build up resistance to ClO2 because it attacks through oxidation.
What is Gard’nClean 99.9% ultra-pure chlorine dioxide?
It is the world’s most user friendly, point-of-use (just add water) highly effective biocide for environmental sanitation.Why use Gard’nClean instead of chlorine or similar compound?
Gard’nClean’s 99.9% pure chlorine dioxide is not corrosive to infrastructure, does not create the same toxic compounds, and removes bioslimes and other pathogens at much lower concentrations than similar compounds.More efficient, safer and effective than bleach!
Introducing the newest technology in disinfecting and odor elimination from the innovators in microbial solutions.
What are the benefits of 99.9% pure chlorine dioxide?
It’s EFFECTIVE
99.9% pure ClO2 is an oxidizer — plant pathogens are unable to build up a tolerance. It is effective against wide varieties of dangerous microorganisms including:- germs
- viruses
- fungi
- spores
- mold & mildew
- bacteria
It’s GENTLE
Unlike other disinfectants, there are no corrosion concerns at use levels. ClO2 can be used on food, water and in food preparation areas. It is because of our patented technology. Simply put, the chemical reaction that generates chlorine dioxide generates harmful by-products.
It’s 99.9% PURE
Our technology is eco-friendly and OMRI organic certified, requiring no special disposal or handling requirements. The activated solution has a neutral pH.
Gard'nClean Biocidal Efficacy versus Your Other Options
Oxidation capacity illustrates strength to attract electrons; higher oxidation capacity signifies greater ability to eliminate more pathogens using less disinfection concentration.
Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2) vs. Chlorine (bleach)
What is Chlorine?
Chlorine comes in a number of forms*:
- Chlorine gas
- Sodium hypochlorite “bleach” & calcium hypochlorite HTH tablets/granules
- Organo-chloro compounds which can release chlorine on contact with water; eg dichlorodiisocyanurate
*Regardless of the form of chlorine, the disinfecting agent is hypochlorous acid (HOCl).
| PH | % HOCl PRESENT IN WATER |
| 6.0 | 100% |
| 7.0 | 75% |
| 7.5 | 50% |
| 8.0 | 24% |
| 8.5 | 9% |
| 9.0 | 3% |
Advantages of Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2)
Gard’nClean products include safe generation of pure chlorine dioxide at the point-of-use. Only tap water needs to be added to advanced micro-reactor sachet technology in order to generate ultra-pure chlorine dioxide. This results in specific concentrations of chlorine dioxide without corrosive residuals and at a neutral pH.
- Strong oxidizer
- End-user familiarity
- Cost effective disinfectant
Disadvantages of Bleach
- It is highly corrosive (in all forms)
- It is very weak at removing bioslime
- It’s efficacy against microbial organisms is very pH dependent
- It produces an unpleasant working environment due to potential health hazards
- It is highly reactive and hence affected by suspended solids and organics in water
- It is toxic (in all forms); HOCl can produce disinfection byproducts, which are carcinogenic
- It is important to know the difference between “free” chlorine and “combined” chlorine. Free chlorine relates to HOCl in the pH range of 7 − 7.5 and combined chlorine relates to the OCL – ion or reaction solutions, e.g., chloramines. The latter (OCLand chloramines) have VERY POOR disinfectant capabilities
Plain old Chlorine bleach is NOT a safe disinfectant!
And it’s not the same as Chlorine Dioxide (ClO2)
U.S. Health Officials estimate 900,000 people each year become ill from waterborne disease. The General Accounting Office estimates 66% of Safe Drinking Water Act violations aren’t reported.Frequently Asked Questions
Gard’nClean ultra-pure chlorine dioxide (ClO2) delivers greater than 99.9% pure chlorine dioxide and without unwanted oxychloro species.
- Gard’nClean is better than chlorine due of the following:
- Negligible toxicity
- Superior material compatibility (kills the pathogens, not your equipment)
- Chlorine dioxide is the world’s most powerful and versatile biocide; it retains its chemical characteristics in both air and water and has an ability to kill more pathogens with less concentration (much less) than any form of chlorine
- Ability to remove bioslime even at low concentrations
- Due to its inherent selectivity, neutral charge, and neutral pH, Gard’nClean 99.9% ultra-pure chlorine dioxide is able to attack bioslime from the inside out (other products simply focus on surface layers of bioslime)
- Ease of use – just add water, wait, and fully decontaminate! No additional activators are necessary.
Until recently, Chlorine Dioxide generation required large mechanical equipment that came at a huge expense. Gard’nClean’s patented just-add-water technology requires only tap water to generate pure chlorine dioxide on-site. No hazardous by-products, no expensive infrastructure to purchase and maintain, and no special certifications.
The original or “stabilized” version of chlorine dioxide is made from precursor chemicals mixed together, creating low concentrations of ClO2 but also many harmful chlorinated byproducts including toxic and corrosive chlorates.
Then, chlorine dioxide generators were utilized to create a better concentration of ClO2. These generators are expensive, not mobile and require trained personnel. Corrosive chlorinated by-products remain a concern.
Today, Gard’nClean’s patented ClO2 technology is available, allowing for 99.9% pure chlorine dioxide that’s ready to use. It requires no special training, is portable and safe. The purity of Gard’nClean makes it ideal for cultivation and processing facilities; food preparation, agriculture, crop transportation & storage, as well as general disinfection and deodorization.
Pure Chlorine Dioxide vs. acidified sodium chlorite:
Chlorine dioxide (ClO2) is a highly versatile and highly compatible gas molecule that retains its chemical characteristics in both air and water, and it is widely used in many industries as a decontaminating agent.
Unlike chlorine gas, chlorine dioxide does not hydrolyze in water to form ionic impurities, nor does chlorine dioxide form harmful byproducts, like chlorine bleach. As many products claim to generate pure chlorine dioxide probably due, it is important to differentiate use of ultra-pure chlorine dioxide and acidified sodium chlorite (a.k.a. stabilized chlorine dioxide or impure chlorine dioxide).
Stabilized chlorine dioxide products yield very little to zero actual chlorine dioxide, and instead deliver vast amounts of corrosive oxychloro species, chlorites and chlorates. Ultra-pure chlorine dioxide solutions are superior at removing bio-slime and cleaning head space (unwetted surfaces), while also rinsing away from lines, tanks, and distributions systems in only one flush.
Gard’nClean ultra-pure chlorine dioxide at the point of use, offers a very user-friendly (just add water), highly compatible, and environmentally-aware method to harness the decontamination power of the ClO2 molecule. This is accomplished through its patented membrane technology, which permits a true gas exchange, and delivers >99% pure chlorine dioxide in solution.
It is important to distinguish between pure or nearly-pure solutions of chlorine dioxide, including Gard’nClean line of products, and the acidified sodium chlorite products on the market sold under various names including “stabilized chlorine dioxide” or acidified sodium chlorite.
To illustrate the differences between pure chlorine dioxide and acidified sodium chlorite, Gard’nClean generated solutions using the product of a leading supplier of the stabilized chlorine dioxide formulations and compared it to a solution of Gard’nClean ultra-pure chlorine dioxide. The stabilized solution was activated using citric acid, as per the manufacturer’s directions. The key results are presented in the chart on the right.
| Chlorine dioxide | “Stabilized” | Gard’nClean |
| Amount of ClO2 generated | 3.2 ppm | 75 ppm |
| Chlorite (ClO2-) level 1 | 34.0 ppm | 0.6 ppm |
| Chlorate (ClO3-) level | 3.0 ppm | 0.2 ppm |
| Final pH | 3.04 (acidic) | 6.9 (neutral) |
| % Pure ClO2 | 2.3% | 99.9% |
Typical of acidified sodium chlorite formulations, this particular product included high concentrations of chlorite and chlorate compounds, a low conversion rate to chlorine dioxide, and an acidic pH.
The large background of oxidizing ionic species (chlorites, chlorates) coupled with the low pH are reasons why stabilized solutions generally have material compatibility issues and are virtually ineffective at cleaning head space and removing bio-slime.
This is not true of Gard’nClean pure chlorine dioxide where application and product usage are vast and superior to other leading disinfection and deodorization methods.
Fact Sheet
It is a strong oxidizer with end-user familiarity. It is very cost effective.
What are some of the current options or respective forms?
- Gayden Dlo is a 0.7% sodium hypochlorite solution
- Klorfasil or granulated tablets
- Dlo lavi is a 0.94% sodium hypochlorite
- Aquatabs is sodium dichloroisocyanurate that dissolves into solution to release hypochlorous acid
We don’t use chlorine or related compounds due to safety or especially because it is more effective, we use it because it generally costs the least
- Highly corrosive (all forms); free chlorine and chlorite will likely be present
- Highly toxic (all forms); due to its volatility, the biggest cause for concern when using a chlorine compound is the formation of carcinogens (cancer causing agents)
- A study by the U.S. Council of Environmental Quality showed that the cancer risk among people drinking chlorinated water is 93% higher than among those whose water does not contain chlorine.
- Inability to efficiently remove bioslime at low concentrations; bioslime is the ‘home’ for microbe colony forming units (CFUs)
- Changes odor and taste of food stuffs when used in food processing and/or water purification applications
- Currently banned substances, such as DDT and PCBs, have a distinct similarity: chlorine
Quick Reference
Pure (and only pure) chlorine dioxide offers many benefits from other common and well-known disinfectants.
Unlike stabilized (dirty) chlorine dioxide, bleach and acids, pure chlorine dioxide from Gard’nClean, is far more powerful and offers much greater efficacy. Even with all of its power, pure chlorine dioxide demonstrates a negligible toxicity profile.
Aside from highly efficacious mold remediation and attendant deodorization, the biggest differences you will get with use of Gard’nClean’s patented, pure chlorine dioxide technology, especially as measured against many commonly known disinfection products, are the following benefits:
- Pure ClO is many times more powerful than bleach as a disinfectant and sanitizer
- Pure ClO is non-corrosive as compared to bleach or other disinfectants
- Pure ClO is not a dermal sensitizer
- Pure ClO may be used on food, water and food preparation surfaces
- Pure ClO is a very powerful oxidizer so germs and bacteria are unable to build up tolerance
- Pure ClO is effective against wide varieties of dangerous microorganisms:
- Germs
- Viruses – Including the Coronavirus.
- Spores
- Molds and fungi
- Bacteria (gram negative and gam positive bacteria)
- Just add water
- Spray and walk away
- Offers superior material compatibility
- Pour any unused solution down any drain
- Throw used packages in any trash receptacle
- No special handling or disposal training necessary
- Pure ClO2 has higher kill capacity as compared to any other major oxidizer (2.5x)
- Pure ClO2 offers superior ability to remove bio-slime
- Gas phase and aqueous application
