I. Background

II. Executive Summary

III. Individual Test Results

1. ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth Testing. Testing was conducted using two types of Formica countertop material (one very smooth and one with a slight texture - both surfaces are typical of those found in a kitchen.) All surfaces were contaminated with a solution containing two microorganisms (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli) and common dirt taken from a vacuum cleaner bag. After the solution dried, surfaces were cleaned with the ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth (new and used) using only water and a conventional cloth with three different cleaning solutions - Lysol® Pine Action Cleaner, Formula 409®, and Tops Regular Scent Bleach. Lysol® was used as a cleaner in accordance with the directions on the container ("29.5 mLs of cleaner mixed with 473mLs of water"). Formula 409® was used as a disinfectant in accordance with the directions on the container (spray surface with full strength 409® until thoroughly wet, let stand 30 seconds, then wipe). Bleach was used as a disinfectant in accordance with health department guidelines. (Note: Arizona Health Department and Arizona law stipulate that bleach water with a concentration of bleach between 50 parts-per-million (ppm) and 100 ppm is required for disinfecting surfaces in restaurants, etc. This has become a recognized "standard" for cleaning effectiveness.) The ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloths were moistened with water until their weight had doubled. After the surfaces were cleaned with each method above, the surfaces were compared with control surfaces that were not cleaned. The comparison of remaining contamination on the cleaned surface to the contamination on the control surface results in an effectiveness rating expressed as a percentage (i.e. "99.94% effective" reflects the result expressed in the Executive Summary above).
   
   (1) Compiled results on the ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth:
   
   
   Table 1: Cloth Testing Smooth Formica Surface

   Type of Cleaning Material	Cleaning Agent	Percent Effective (%)
   ACT-tex® Multi-purpose Cloth (New) *	Tap Water	99.9511 %
   ACT-tex® Multi-purpose Cloth (Used) *	Tap Water	99.9506 %
   Conventional Dish Cloth (New)	Lysol® Pine Action Cleaner	92.7778 %
   Conventional Dish Cloth (New)	409® as Disinfectant	99.9994 %
   Conventional Dish Cloth (New)	Bleach Water (60 ppm)	99.0000 %

   * "New" is defined as 12 or less previous uses, and "used" is defined as more than 50 uses.
   
   
   
   Table 2: Cloth Testing Textured Formica Surface

   Type of Cleaning Material	Cleaning Agent	Percent Effective (%)
   ACT-tex® Multi-purpose Cloth (New) *	Tap Water	99.9721 %
   ACT-tex® Multi-purpose Cloth (Used) *	Tap Water	99.9646 %
   Conventional Dish Cloth (New)	Lysol® Pine Action Cleaner	90.3571 %
   Conventional Dish Cloth (New)	409® as Disinfectant	99.9977 %
   Conventional Dish Cloth (New)	Bleach Water (60 ppm)	98.7073 %

   * "New" is defined as 12 or less previous uses, and "used" is defined as more than 50 uses.
   
   
   (2) Analysis of Results:
   These results demonstrate that the ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth is extremely effective. Only Formula 409® used as a disinfectant did better - remember that the surface was saturated with a full concentration of 409® and allowed to stand for 30 seconds. Of particular note is the comparison of the ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth with the bleach water solution which is recognized as a standard for cleanliness. Even though the percentages are very close, a mathematical analysis of these percentages shows that the bleach water left much more contamination on the surfaces as compared to the ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth (20 times the amount of contamination on the smooth surface and 46 times on the textured surface).
   
   
2. ACTEX® Damp-mop Testing. Testing was conducted on two types of flooring (vinyl composition floor tile and ceramic floor tile - both surfaces are typical of those found in a home environment.) All surfaces were contaminated with a solution containing two microorganisms (Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli) and common dirt taken from a vacuum cleaner bag. After the solution dried, surfaces were cleaned with ACTEX® Damp-mop (new and used) using only water and a conventional cotton mop with Lysol® Pine Action Cleaner -- used both as a cleaner and as a disinfectant. Lysol® was used as a cleaner in accordance with the directions on the container ("29.5 mLs of cleaner mixed with 473mLs of water") and "was used to wipe the surfaces without letting the product stand on the surfaces". Using the same dilution, Lysol® "was used as a disinfectant for the floor surfaces by allowing the product to remain "wet" on the surface for 10 minutes as per bottle instructions". The ACTEX® Damp-mops were moistened with water to 175% of their dry weight. After the surfaces were cleaned with each method, the surfaces were compared with control surfaces that were not cleaned. The comparison of remaining contamination on the cleaned surface to the contamination on the control surface results in an effectiveness rating expressed as a percentage. It is important to remember, when reviewing the results of this test that "the conventional mops were "new", they had not been used and were dry (see Table 3 below). After use, we boiled the conventional (added) mops, rung them out, then left them at room temperature (Table 4 below)."
   
   (1) Compiled results on the ACTEX® Damp-mop:
   
   
   Table 3: Mop Testing Floor Tile-Vinyl Composition

   Type of Cleaning Material	Cleaning Agent	Percent Effective (%)
   ACT-tex® Damp Mop (New) *	Tap Water	99.3710 %
   ACT-tex® Damp Mop (Used) *	Tap Water	98.8710 %
   Conventional Cotton Mop (New)	Lysol® Pine Action Cleaner	84.0323 %
   Conventional Cotton Mop (New)	Lysol® as Disinfectant	99.7419 %

   * "New" is defined as 12 or less previous uses, and "used" is defined as more than 50 uses.
   
   
   
   Table 4: Mop Testing Floor Tile-Ceramic

   Type of Cleaning Material	Cleaning Agent	Percent Effective (%)
   ACT-tex® Damp Mop (New) *	Tap Water	91.1765 %
   ACT-tex® Damp Mop (Used) *	Tap Water	94.1176 %
   Conventional Cotton Mop (New)	Lysol® Pine Action Cleaner	39.7059 %
   Conventional Cotton Mop (New)	Lysol® as Disinfectant	0.0000 %

   * "New" is defined as 12 or less previous uses, and "used" is defined as more than 50 uses.
   
   
   (2) Analysis of Results:
   These results demonstrate that the ACTEX® Damp-mop is more effective than a conventional mop. The most significant aspect of the mop testing is what happens to the conventional mop after being used for the first time. The conventional mops used on the ceramic tile surface had been used only once on the previous test. These mops were "0%" effective on the second test even using a disinfectant. A conventional mop may make the floor surface "look" cleaner; however, the "cleaned" surface retains very high levels of bacterial contamination (microorganisms).
   
   
3. ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth Saturation Testing. During this test, ten (10) identical smooth Formica surfaces were cleaned with the same ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth using only water (as in cloth testing above). "This means that the cloths were folded in four and that the same cloth surface was used to wipe each of the ten test surfaces in succession". After all surfaces were cleaned, the surfaces were compared with control surfaces that were not cleaned. The comparison of remaining contamination on the cleaned surface to the contamination on the control surface results in an effectiveness rating expressed as a percentage.
   
   (1) Compiled results on the ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth Saturation Testing:
   
   
   Table 5: ACT-tex® Multi-purpose Cloth Saturation Testing

   Surface Number	Percent Effective (%)
   Surface 1	99.9467 %
   Surface 2	99.8533 %
   Surface 3	99.8800 %
   Surface 4	99.9847 %
   Surface 5	99.5000 %
   Surface 6	99.4667 %
   Surface 7	99.7267 %
   Surface 8	99.2667 %
   Surface 9	99.8900 %
   Surface 10	99.7633 %
   Average	99.7278 %

   
   
   (2) Analysis of Results:
   The test demonstrates that the ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth can clean a large surface before the fibers becoming saturated with microorganisms. Based on the size of the surfaces cleaned and the size of the cloth folded in quarters, a single ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth could clean up to 40 square feet of Formica counter-top with over a 99% effectiveness rate. Remember, the "recognized standard for cleanliness" using bleach water was between 98.7% and 99.0%. Further testing would be required to identify the maximum area that could be "cleaned" by a single cloth (e.g. how much area could be cleaned before the cleaning effectiveness of the cloth fell below the "standard").
   
   
4. ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth Cross-Contamination Test. For this test, ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloths that had been used to clean contaminated surfaces were then used to wipe "clean" surfaces. "These "clean" surfaces, along with three control (not wiped) surfaces were then swabbed to see how many bacteria were present." The comparison of contamination left by the ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth on the "clean" surfaces to the contamination on the control surfaces results in a relative level of contamination or cleanliness both expressed as a percentage.
   
   (1) Compiled results on the ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth Cross-Contamination Testing:
   
   
   Table 6: ACT-tex® Multi-purpose Cloth Cross-Contamination Test

   	% Contamination	% Clean
   Control Surface Cleanliness	0.0006 %	99.9995 %
   ACT Natural Cloth on Clean Surface	0.0279 %	99.9721 %

   
   
   (2) Analysis of Results:
   This Test demonstrates that the ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth retains the contamination from a cleaned surface within it's fibers and this contamination is not transferred to another surface (subject to saturation limits of the cloth).
   
   
5. ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth -- Washing vs. Boiling Test. For this test, ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloths that had been used to clean like contaminated surfaces (i.e. the relative level of contamination on the dirty cloths was the same) were cleaned using two different methods. One set of cloths was washed in a Kenmore Series 70 Extra Capacity Washer (normal cycle of 40 minutes with a 12-minute wash cycle at a temperature of 120°F) using a mild detergent (Tide®). The other set of cloths was boiled (as recommended, three-five minutes). After cleaning, both sets of cloths were tested for contamination. The comparison of the contamination left in the ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth to the level of contamination cleaned from the contaminated surface results in a relative level of contamination or cleanliness both expressed as a percentage.
   
   (1) Compiled results on the ACTEX® Multi-purpose Cloth - Washing vs. Boiling Testing:
   
   
   Table 7: ACT-tex® Multi-purpose Cloth - Washing vs. Boiling Testing

   	% Contamination	% Clean
   ACT Natural Cloth - Boiled	0.000036 %	99.999964 %
   ACT Natural Cloth - Machine Washed	0.000029 %	99.999971 %

   
   
   (2) Analysis of Results:
   These results demonstrate that washing the cloths in a washing machine on a normal cycle with a mild detergent and relatively hot water (120°F) cleans the cloth as effectively as boiling (effectiveness measured in ability to remove bacteria/microorganisms from the cloth and not in removing stains).
   
   
   

IV. Conclusion