Richard Neale of the Laundry Technology Centre replies to a USA reader's query about how peracetic acid (PAA) compares with 1% chlorine bleach.
Peracetic acid is a mild bleach (its bleaching action is not as powerful as
chlorine bleach). It is also a powerful disinfectant and because of this
is widely used in healthcare laundering. However, it can give rise to
corrosion problems with equipment if misused.
Any metal, with which the PAA liquors might come into contact,
needs to be a good grade of stainless-steel. Brass and copper are
quickly attacked.
In the UK, laundries are achieving significant economies in
water consumption by using PAA to neutralise the wash alkalinity
instead of relying on rinsing. This means that the rinse zone of a
tunnel washer can be used to extend the wash zone.
It is essential to neutralise correctly in the final compartment of the
tunnel washer. If after the wash process the work is over-neutralised,
there is a risk of rotting the cotton components, such as the belts, of
the multi-roll ironer.
In the tests to identify the risks of textile damage, it has been found
that in a well-designed system, the risk of weakening the textile is
significantly less with PAA than with chlorine bleach-based systems.
