Polti is the first company in Italy to have products officially classed as "Steam Disinfection Devices"(SDD). The new tests, applied on some references, confirm the disinfectant effectiveness of steam on germs, bacteria, spores, fungi and viruses, including Sars-CoV-2.
Steam disinfection takes place without resorting to toxic and polluting substances. It is in fact simply water in the form of vapour which, with our devices, is able to eliminate germs, bacteria, spores, fungi and inactivate viruses. These results are a source of great pride for us, and for the sector it is a very significant transition.
Francesca Polti
A new achievement for Polti, which today strengthens its claim to be able to lead the professional cleaning and disinfection sector in the medical and civil fields thanks to a recent testing and validation operation on some of its professional product lines. The ambitious goal is to achieve world leadership in steam applications.
Some weeks ago Polti - 250 employees, 200 patents, 80 million euros in turnover, known in over 50 countries around the world for Polti Vaporella and Polti Vaporetto - passed the tests carried out on some of its products, which were found to comply with the SDD standard. (Steam Disinfection Devices), AFNOR NF T72-110 standard, the only one currently available internationally.
The products tested*, devices with patented technology, therefore definitively constitute an effective disinfection method including against the SARS-CoV-2 virus, cause of the Covid-19 disease (*if used in the correct operating mode).
Until now, in the absence of specific regulations for steam generators, the regulatory protocols evaluated only chemical disinfectants, not taking into consideration the potential of steam. But the propensity towards innovation, a characteristic for which Polti is known in the world, combined with the profound know-how achieved by the technical team, have allowed the company to act with confidence and therefore be the first Italian company to comply with certain of its lines to the SDD standard for Steam Disinfection Devices.
The standard currently applies to some of the products already on the market, those of the Polti Sani System and Polti Vaporetto MV professional lines and the Polti Vaporetto Pro domestic models, but the company aims to standardize other references over the next few months, through new dedicated tests.
"Steam cleaning and disinfection is a method of protecting homes and workplaces that is unique in terms of effectiveness, versatility and ease of use. - says Francesca Polti, General Manager - Polti has always tested products according to stringent standards, but those designed for chemical disinfectants. Today, obtaining the result of qualifying our products as SDD - Steam Disinfection Devices - opens up new market scenarios, in Italy and abroad, where we intend to offer Polti products in the Professional and Healthcare sector, demonstrating how much our research can benefit any environment. We strongly believe in the project, we dedicate 5% of our turnover to research; the potential is very large, which is why we plan to continue investing in the next three years through an industrial plan that aims to increase tests, constantly innovate and scientifically validate our technology, naturally also for our lines dedicated to domestic use, not just professional."
Since 1978 Polti has been committed to promoting a contemporary and sustainable approach to hygiene, raising awareness of the quality of steam and its effectiveness, supported by numerous tests and studies carried out both in Italy and abroad. The awareness of how the current epidemiological scenario has changed the protocols existing so far has therefore led the company to push even more on research, in order to be able to give an important turning point to its mission by qualifying leading products as SDD and in particular those of the professional line.
This was the starting point for the new tests, performed by independent laboratories, which further validated the effectiveness of Polti steam as a solution for the natural and deep disinfection of any work environment (medical and civil) and home.
The advantages of using Polti SDDs are many. The steam acts immediately, deactivating pathogens that can endanger health: disinfection is instantaneous and repeatable frequently, it can be done on any surface and fabric, even on objects with complex geometry and in the most difficult to reach corners. Furthermore, the steam can be used in the presence of people and animals, since disinfection takes place without resorting to toxic and polluting substances.
Said Stefano Cappi, Polti Patents & Product Compliance Manager, regarding the tests carried out: "The test was developed in several phases: in the first we analyzed the new standard that introduces some concepts of distance and speed of passage on the surfaces, then we started testing the product on microorganisms that on paper have greater resistance. This choice encouraged testing, but not only that : we tested multiple microorganisms by crossing the data between multiple laboratories, most of which are in Italy, for recognized methodological and scientific qualities ".
The Polti products, currently compliant with the French AFNOR NF T72-110 standard, are those of the Polti Sani System and Polti Vaporetto MV professional lines and the Polti Vaporetto Pro domestic models. They are also scientifically validated by SIMA, the Italian Society of Environmental Medicine.
A dialogue has also recently started with the Higher Institute of Health which has recognized Polti's commitment to scientific research as well as identifying "the effectiveness of steam in contributing, in the specified conditions of use, to the reduction of microbial load on surfaces", as mentioned in the latest communication received by Polti management from the National Centre for Chemicals, Cosmetic Products and Consumer Protection of the Higher Institute of Health.
“We will not stop innovating and testing; our goal is world leadership in steam applications" concludes Francesca Polti. "At a time like the present one, which sees hygiene as a weapon that can contribute to the protection of one's own health and that of other people, Polti cares about making available products that comply with precise rules to promote responsible behaviour towards the community and the environment."