Introduction Current disinfection strategies are limited by cost, safety concerns, and logistical inefficiencies, particularly in busy healthcare environments. Hypochlorous acid (HOCl) offers broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity with a well-established safety profile, but its use as an ultrafine aqueous “dry vapor” has not been widely studied in healthcare settings. This proof-of-concept study evaluated the feasibility of using ultrafine aqueous HOCl for large-scale disinfection in outpatient medical facilities. Methods Four outpatient facilities ranging from 4,500 to 90,000 square feet were treated with ultrafine aqueous (2 micron) HOCl. Samples were collected from staff, procedure, and public areas. ATP bioluminescence in Relative Light Units (RLU) was measured before treatment and at 30 and 60-minutes post-treatment. Results: Statistically significant reductions in RLU were observed at 30 minutes (p 0.001) and 60 minutes (p 0.001) post-treatment compared to baseline. Significant reduction was also noted from 30 minutes to 60 minutes (p 0.001). All facilities achieved disinfection levels below the guidelines for terminal disinfection of hospital non-surgical areas. Conclusion Ultrafine aqueous HOCl is an efficient and safe disinfection method for large medical facilities, with implications for improving infection control practices and reducing healthcare-associated infections.
Hogan et al. (2026) studied this question.