Effective Disinfection Technology of Bacteria inside Biofilms in Laundry Environments

Monday, April 28, 2025

3:55 PM – 4:15 PM PST

Room: B110-112

Presenting Author(s)

Shiho Saeki, MA

Researcher
Kao Corporation
Wakayama, Japan

Co-Author(s)

HK

Hiroki Kijitori, MS

Manager
Kao Corporation
Wakayama-Shi, Japan
SM

Satoshi Morikawa

Manager
Kao Corporation, Japan
YT

Yuichiro Tase

Director
Kao Corporation, Japan

Abstract: Biofilms are ubiquitous in our environment and cause significant issues that need to be addressed in various fields, including healthcare, water treatment, medical instruments, and food processing. The laundry environment is no exception. We discovered the presence of biofilms on everyday items such as towels and clothes, and published an article a couple of years ago. Biofilms hidden in washing machines and on clothes cause fabric care issues such as appearance changes, scent perception, unpleasant odors, texture changes, and overall hygiene concerns. Extracellular polysaccharides (EPS), which are the main components of biofilms produced by bacteria, form a strong structure that makes the bacteria inside biofilms highly drug-resistant. Therefore, targeting the bacteria inside biofilms using the common disinfectants and antimicrobials found in fabric care products is extremely difficult.
In this study, we aimed to develop a new approach to address this issue. Based on our analysis, the problem with disinfecting bacteria inside biofilms using common disinfectants was that EPS trapped the disinfectants and prevented their penetration into biofilms. As a solution to this problem, we found that utilizing anionic surfactants with high biofilm permeability allows disinfectants to efficiently penetrate biofilms. Furthermore, the bacteria inside the biofilms were effectively disinfected, even at low concentrations of disinfectants with the specific surfactant system.
Applying this technology to fabric care products can lead to improvements in various laundry environment issues, such as appearance, odor, texture, and hygiene, thereby providing the desired performance more effectively. Furthermore, addressing these laundry environmental issues using this technology can contribute to keeping clothes clean and usable for longer periods, thereby extending their lifespan and promoting sustainable fabric care.