Production of Dettol
CHAPTER ONE
Objective of the study
- To learn how to produce dettol in various homes rather than going for commercial ones.
- To test the efficacy of the product produced in this research work.
- To use this production as an opportunity to acquired skills in the schools, thereby creating jobs for the unemployed and making them self- reliant.
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
The purpose for this literature review was to examine the literature currently available to the general public on the application of a range of disinfectants used within a microbiology laboratory in both the public e.g. hospital laboratories and the private sector e.g. university laboratories. This literature review was carried out on the effectiveness of disinfectants so that previous and current knowledge on the use of these disinfectants can be analysed. This will help give an insight into the subject area and help with the preparation and production of the final report based on the research being carried during the literature review and research project. The main purpose of the research project being conducted was to compare the effectiveness of a variety of disinfectants especially Trigene which has been endorsed for use in the microbiology laboratories of the Greater Glasgow and Clyde health board and that of Virkon which is currently used by the microbiology laboratory at the University of the West of Scotland.
The literature examined showed that the disinfectants used in clinical laboratories and any other area where microorganisms can cause a problem with cross-contamination, should be evaluated for their effectiveness against the range of organisms which might be encountered. It is an important requirement that the disinfectants being used are able to inhibit or kill the microorganisms quickly and by using the lowest concentration available. (Isenberg, 1985)
A study conducted by Kasthjerg et al (2010) which looked at the effects of a range of disinfectants on the expression of virulence genes present in the bacterium Listeria monocytogenes. This study showed that effects on the virulence gene in the bacterium could be linked to the chemicals found in the disinfectant with some causing an inhibition of the gene while others showed an induction of the gene.
CHAPTER THREE
MATERIALS AND METHOD
Texapon: It is a surfactant or detergent that forms micelles which allows non polar substance like oils to be dissolved in water. It acts basically the same as many other liquid soaps that are formed from saponification of various triglycerides.
Phenol: Phenol is an organic compound or solvent that contains the hydroxyl-OH group attached to benzene ring. It is an aromatic compound classified as an alcohol and it is colourless and has sweet odour. Phenol is used in low concentration as a disinfectant in household Dettol and also in mouthwash. This is also called carbolic acid even though carbolic acid is liquid.
Chloroxylenol: This chemical is the antibacterial in Dettol which kills germs and reduces inflammation. Chloroxylenol is the main antiseptic ingredient in Dettol with the highest percentage of about 4.8 of the mixture that makes up Dettol; other percentage is gotten from pine oil, phenol, castor oil, isopropyl alcohol and water. One has to be very careful when using it because it could cause mild skin irritation, such as rash, swelling of face, mouth, itchy throat or tongue, blisters, peeling of skin and difficulty in breathing and please seek medical attention if this occurs to you.
I.P.A (Isopropyl Alcohol): This is a colourless, flammable chemical compound with strong odour, it contains an antiseptic effect, which gives Dettol the ability to kill bacteria, and fungi especially when used for wound cleansing.
CHAPTER FOUR
DISCUSSION
Steps on how to produce Homemade Dettol Disinfectant Liquid
- Step 1: Gently Pour the texapon into a big empty bowl and dissolve the phonol in it
- Step 2: Add the pine oil and stir properly
- Step 3: Add chloroxylenol and stir also
- Step 4: Add I.P.A (Isopropanol)
- Step 5: Add the castor oil and stir properly
- Step 5: Pour the water into the content and stir it very well
- Step 6: Dissolve the colour in water and add to it, mix it properly and leave to settle for a while before packaging it.
Note that the colour should be added last.
To know if your Dettol is well formulated, it should be able to form a milky emulsion of oil droplet when it is diluted in water.
Now your dettol is ready for use at home or for sale.This is a simple Do It Yourself (DIY) way of making dettol for home use. Things such as branding and production in large quantity for commercial use will only be achieved when your company has been registered and the cost of setting up the company can be high. However, this can help you reduce the cost of buying dettol or disinfectants for family use rather than sepnding money to buy the commercial disinfectants and antiseptics. The cost of buying a dettol soap is about 150 naira, while te price of the liquid ranges from 350 naira to 550 naira or more depending on whether it is the small sized bottle or the larger bottle.
Harmful effects of Dettol
- Dettol is harmful to humans when swallowed and it could cause lethal toxicity and it is poisonous when intentionally inhale always read the label before using it.
- Dettol is also toxic to many animals especially cats as a result of phenol content. Cats are unable to eliminate the toxins following ingestion; a cat may swallow the product by licking his paws after they have come in contact with it.
- Dettol can cause allergic reactions to skin. It could cause acne on the skin, but this does not happen with everybody, only on some people. Most times, the reaction is as a result of adding excess in bathing water.
- Always clean off with clean water after disinfecting your kitchen as the chemicals used in making Dettol disinfectant are poisonous to man when inhaled and it is not proper to come in contact with food items.
- Never use dettol for washing of Plates or anything that requires swallowing
Chapter five
Conclusion
The study was designed to reveal the process of production of a disinfectant (dettol). Recognizing the effect of this disinfectant and the importance of its application the study recommends the following
- treat every patient and instrument(capable of transmitting infectious disease).
- protect patients and healthcare workers from infection and its results.
- reduce the numbers of pathogenic microorganisms to levels where patients’ normal defence mechanisms can prevent infection.
- break the cycle of infection and eliminate cross – contamination
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