What is Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide?

We often talk about the various surface disinfection methods that you have at your disposal for proper infection control. Whether it’s wipes or liquids (like the offerings from Optim1), proper surface disinfection is vital for everybody. Proper infection prevention is something that should be practiced everywhere…not just in your practice or place of work. One thing that is sadly misunderstood is that surface disinfection isn’t achieved by every single product on the market. Generic store-brand wipes are not the bastions of infection control that they’d like, or claim to be.

Surface disinfectants like Optim1 are made up of special components that help boost their protective capabilities. These are extremely important factors that add to their efficacy claim of being the best. One of the most important active ingredients unfortunately goes under some peoples’ radars. That active ingredient aka the secret sauce that makes medical-grade surface disinfectants like Optim1 so much more effective than the rest is: Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide, or AHP for short.

Despite being the active ingredient, the name means nothing to the average consumer, it looks to be the unsung hero in the infection control space. So in this article, we’d like to dive into the specifics of AHP, and show you why Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide is a must go-to for rapid guaranteed surface disinfection in the medical field.

What is Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide?

To understand why AHP remains the active ingredient in high-grade surface disinfectants, you have to ask the right questions, and there’s no better place to start than getting an answer as to what it is.

Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide (AHP) is a patented, synergistic blend of common, safe ingredients that, when combined with low levels of hydrogen peroxide, significantly enhance its germicidal and cleaning efficacy. Unlike standard hydrogen peroxide solutions, which are often unstable and slow to act, AHP formulations use small amounts of surfactants (detergents), wetting agents, and a chelating agent (a compound that binds to metal ions) to stabilize and “accelerate” the hydrogen peroxide molecule.

Why is Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide So Good?

AHP is popular in healthcare, institutional, and commercial settings because it effectively balances performance, safety, and environmental responsibility:

Fast & Broad-Spectrum Power

AHP achieves high-level disinfection on surfaces, often with short contact times. 

Fast Kill Times: AHP products are known for their incredibly fast contact times, often killing common bacteria and viruses (like COVID-19, Norovirus, and influenza) in 30 seconds to 1 minute.

Broad Spectrum: AHP is effective against a wide range of pathogens, including:

• Bacteria (e.g., Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli)
• Viruses (enveloped and non-enveloped)
• Fungi (e.g., Candida albicans)
• Mycobacteria (which cause tuberculosis)

Sporicidal Capability: Some AHP formulations can achieve sterilization by killing bacterial spores (like C. difficile), a feat only achieved by a select few high-level disinfectants.

The Power of Wipes

When it comes to wipes that use AHP ; due to the various aspects of the Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide compound, the disinfecting power can be nearly double that of your standard fare… at half the cost in terms of wipes. Any generic surface disinfectant may need 2 or 3 wipes to completely disinfect any surface, regardless of material, wasting your wipes just to compensate for a lack of power.

But AHP ensures that the capability to completely eliminate any bacteria or pathogens on a surface can be done with just 1 wipe. 1 wipe can break down and remove anything left on the surface, and has the contact power to ensure you only need 1 wipe to disinfect properly.

Safe for All

One of AHP’s biggest advantages is its safety for the user and the environment compared to traditional disinfectants like quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) or chlorine bleach. This is due to the makeup of AHP being:

• Low Toxicity: AHP formulations typically have very low toxicity ratings (often classified as “non-toxic” or “non-irritating”). They are generally non-mutagenic and non-carcinogenic.
• Less Irritating: It is significantly less likely to cause irritation to the eyes, skin, and respiratory tract compared to bleach, reducing the need for extensive personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Odorless: AHP is generally odorless, making it much more pleasant to use in closed environments.

Low Environmental Impact

Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide is also highly favored for its minimal environmental impact. Unlike most basic surface disinfectant products that you’ll find that create a toxic environmental effect over time… AHP is commonly favored in the industry for its environmental benefits:

• No Active Residue: After being used on a surface, the hydrogen peroxide breaks down almost completely into water and oxygen. because of this, it leaves virtually no active residue on surfaces, reducing the chance of creating antibiotic-resistant organisms or harmful chemical buildup.
• Biodegradable: The other ingredients are generally biodegradable. While the other surfactants and wetting agents may vary by company or manufacturer, to keep in line with the efficacy created by AHP products, the other agents that make up the disinfectant compound are biodegradable.
• No Bioburden: The environmental safety of AHP comes from the fact that it doesn’t leave behind any bioburden. Bioburdens are harmful buildups that can be harmful to the user even after wiping a surface down, thinking it’s disinfected. But AHP breaks everything down into a removable substance, which ensures its removal, and leaving no danger behind… Unlike the other kinds of wipes, like alcohol based wipes, or wipes that utilize quaternary ammonium compounds (quats). 

Final Thoughts

Surface disinfection has been a hot topic in the industry for quite some time. Events like the 2020 pandemic event had bolstered the need for more infection control practices especially surface disinfection. Even today, while we’re not living through the same circumstances as a few years back, we’re still living in a world where after something that detrimental, everyone is always thinking of ways to improve upon infection prevention. So it’s always good to explore your options in-depth when it comes to keeping yourself and those close to you safe.

And with Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide, surface disinfection has never been better. It’s chemically formulated to be the safest, yet most powerful and versatile method of surface disinfection at your disposal. With an incredible safety rating and low environmental impact, this unassuming powerhouse packs a punch against a plethora of pathogens. So if you want to learn more about Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide or even AHP-based products, give us a call at 704-966-1650, and we’ll help you find exactly what you need.

As always if you have any questions about this process or anything else please feel free to contact us and take advantage of our “FREE TECH SUPPORT.”

We also offer FREE VIRTUAL TECH SUPPORT to “See and Talk” with a “Real Time Live Technician” for any problems you may be in need of help with.

You can also use our “FREE MAINTENANCE PROGRAM”. Take the guesswork and worrying about what unit is due for maintenance and which maintenance cycle it is time for. We will keep track of all your autoclaves and let you know when it’s time for anything.