FAQ’s

Toucan Eco lets you make your own multi-surface disinfectant cleaner from just water, salt and electricity that kills more than 99.99% of germs. It’s safe and environmentally-friendly, and replaces 80% of chemical cleaners and the single use plastic bottles they are supplied in.

All you need is a Toucan Eco device, and the consumables of water, salt and electricity. That’s it.

Yes, it does. It’s a proven and effective disinfectant and cleaning solution with a very high kill rate of more than 99.99%, fast contact time and minimal regrowth. The solution is also a mild surfactant, providing clean, smear-free surfaces.

Yes. The Toucan Eco solution has been extensively tested under EN standards by independent accredited laboratories for its efficacy to kill more than 99.99% (log-4) of viruses and has passed suspension test EN 14476, surface test EN 16777 and hand sanitization test EN14476:2013+A2:2019. These tests demonstrate a high efficacy at low concentrations with fast contact times against viruses, including coronavirus which causes Covid-19.

It’s powerful stuff and tests have proven the activated solution  as or  more effective than commercial disinfectants that contain lots of harsh chemicals.

It’s revolutionary in the way that it’s truly eco-friendly – and not a small step towards reducing the amount of toxic chemicals through concentrates, tablet form or alternative ingredients which can still be harmful.

And it’s completely safe as it’s based on the same infection fighting substances used in your immune system – that makes it non-toxic and hypoallergenic.

Because, it kills germs, cleans well, smells natural, and is eco-friendly and safe too. You can’t say that about many other chemical cleaners!

But for more information, here’s five reasons why you should. Firstly, it reduces your chemical and plastic use. Secondly, as it’s safe it looks after the cleaner who’s cleaning after you. And it’s also powerful stuff, killing more than 99.99% of germs. Then there’s the fact that it will save you money. And finally, it’s certified for performance to EN 14476, EN 16777, EN 1276 and EN 13697.

The solution created by Toucan Eco is an effective disinfectant and a mild cleaner, so replaces general disinfectant, all-purpose cleaners, kitchen and bathroom cleaners, glass and metal cleaners, and deodorizers. It doesn’t replace strong degreasers and descales, although it is effective if used on a daily basis.

Yes. it does. In fact, tests prove that the antibacterial properties is as or more effective than synthetic chemicals, while the cleaning agent is gentler.

It’s a combination of the world needing an effective disinfectant that kills viruses, including coronavirus, while also reducing the the huge amounts of waste plastic bottles and packaging in our oceans and landfill, plus the news that the long-term use of cleaning chemicals can have a serious impact on your health. This now means we need to think differently about how we can reduce our impact on the planet.

And Toucan Eco is a new, greener way to clean workplaces that helps one chemical cleaner and plastic bottle at a time.

Absolutely. It reduces your chemical spend by over 80% and once the device has been paid for the cost of producing the solution is minimal. For example, a 10kg bag of salt costs around £10 and makes 10,000 litres of solution.

Read our ROI blog for more information about this.

The activated solution is certified to EN 1276, EN 13697, EN 14476 and EN 16777 for  chemical disinfectants against bacteria and viruses. It is also safe for use in food preparation and high-risk areas. In addition, certification under EN13727 (ESBL) and the VAH scheme (medical grade biocides) demonstrate efficacy in risk areas. Toucan Eco is listed under Article 95 of the EU Biocides regulations.

It’s based on a science that’s been around since 1834. That’s when Michael Faraday published his findings on the principles of electrolysis observing that an electric current passed through a substance produced chemical changes.

Cut to the 1970’s and a Russian scientist called Professor Vitold Bakhir added salt to this process to create a brand-new solution, one that was found to have powerful disinfectant properties. The original concept was to develop a technology that could combat the effects of biological warfare by generating safe and effective biocides, quickly and easily on-site for use on humans, animals, equipment, crops and water supplies.

This technology is trusted by a huge range of industries around the world.

It protects the marine environment, disinfects drinking water, combats Legionella, and is used to safely disinfect and clean in everything from fish processing to carpet cleaning, salad packing to flower cultivation and dairy farming.

Hypochlorous is even used to treat wounds, burns and infections in humans and pets – it’s approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for this.

And it’s also being used as part of Project India to help make the world’s polluted water safe to drink in third world countries and areas of humanitarian disaster.

With developments in technology, smaller devices can now make the solution on demand and onsite. In the UK, more and more companies are now proving you don’t have to use toxic, environmentally-damaging and expensive synthetic chemicals to disinfect and clean workplaces while saving single-use plastic bottles at the same time.

We picked Toucan Eco as we felt, like the brand, that toucans are associated with the natural world – as is hypochlorous acid that’s made from water, salt and electrolysis, but also made by your body’s immune system. 

A less important point, but we also thought the useful atomizer spray bottle you receive with the Toucan Eco III looks a little bit like a toucan!.

It’s called electrochemical activation (or ECA for short), which is a form of electrolysis. It’s the process of passing an electrical current using a specialised cell through a solution of water (H20) mixed with a small amount of salt (NaCL) – 1g of salt per litre of water in fact. The electrochemical activation breaks the compounds apart into their basic elements.

The reaction oxidises at the positively charged electrode (the anode) and reduces at the negatively charged electrode (the cathode). This makes the 100ppm of free available chlorine (FAC) solution with changed chemical properties; a powerful but safe disinfectant and cleaning solution. That’s the ready to use solution as some of the models make a much higher concentration which is then diluted dispensed to 100ppm.

At the positive anode, the hydrogen and oxygen in the water reacts with the chlorine in the salt to produce the main, active substance called hypochlorous acid (HCIO), which is a powerful but safe disinfectant. This solution naturally wants to revert back to its original state by oxidising, for example, other organic matter. That’s part of its effectiveness.

At the negatively charged cathode the sodium and chlorine in the salt combines with the  oxygen in the water to produce a mild form of sodium hypochlorite. This is a gentle cleaning agent. 

During  electrolysis, at the positive anode the chlorine (Cl) in the salt (NaCl) combines with the hydrogen  (H) and oxygen (O) in the water (H2O) and creates hypochlorous acid (HOCl),  which is a powerful but safe disinfectant.

While at the negative cathode the sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) in the salt (NACl) combines with oxygen (O) and chlorine (Cl) to produce sodium  hypochlorite (NaOCl), which is a very low concentration of bleach. This, and  the gentle alkaline pH of between 7.8 and 8.5, gives the solution its cleaning  properties.

There  are no by-products during this activation.

The performance of disinfectant is normally measured by its concentration – parts per million (ppm) of the active substance – in this case FAC (or free available chlorine). Many microorganisms can be destroyed with a concentration of around 20ppm of FAC, while tap water contains between 0.2 to 2ppm. 

Toucan Eco makes ready to use concentration of 100ppm FAC, which has a very high efficacy in eliminating microorganisms and represents the optimum level for disinfecting and cleaning. 

This is the equivalent of 0.01% concentration, meaning 99.99% of the solution is water. Compare this to household bleach, which has a concentration of around 50,000ppm or 5% – that’s 500 times more concentrated than Toucan Eco, but no more effective.

Hypochlorous is the most effective disinfectant in the chlorine family available. It’s highly reactive with any microorganism that it can oxidise, and damages the cell membrane, quickly penetrating the cell. 

This results in an osmotic overload (put simply, a chemical imbalance of a cell) which means the cell cannot keep its structure, becomes vulnerable to attack and the hypochlorous reacts with cell proteins and nucleic acid. That’s why it’s so effective against the likes of coronavirus, norovirus, E. coli, MRSA and Listeria. 

As the process works on a molecular level this means that microorganisms are unable to build up resistance, something which can occur with chemical disinfectants. 

It also has a residual effect, and keeps on working if left on surfaces longer, although the speed of kill is proven to take seconds. 

While the activation of the disinfectant is taking place, the sodium and chlorine in the salt is combining with the oxygen in the water to create sodium hypochlorite (NaClO); a very mild concentration of bleach. When combined with a gentle pH level of between 7.8 and 8.5, this compound gives the solution its cleaning properties.

The percentage split of hypochlorous and sodium hypochlorite is dependent on the pH of the water. Toucan Eco makes an optimum disinfecting and cleaning solution at around pH 8, and at this level about 20% of this is hypochlorous and 80% sodium hypochlorite. This is proven to kill more than 99.99% of microorganisms, while also providing good cleaning results. 

Higher concentrations of hypochlorous can be achieved by lowering the pH of the solution so it’s more acidic to around 5.5, but that means the proportion of sodium hypochlorite decreases, along with solution’s cleaning properties too. And to improve the cleaning properties of the solution, the pH can be increased so the solution is more alkaline, but that reduces the disinfecting properties of the solution.

We think we’ve got this just about right but you can increase the percentage of hypochlorous by adding vinegar, which is acidic. The ratio of salt to vinegar is 9:1 to achieve a pH of between 5 to 6.5.

Or you can increase the cleaning properties of the solution by adding potassium carbonate at a ratio to salt of 1:1, changing the pH to around 10 to 12, but poor disinfecting and deodorising properties.

It is an oxidising solution and so takes electrons from cell structures and opens the cell to invasion by hypochlorous, which then destroys the internal structures of the cell, so killing it. It’s measured by ORP (or oxygen reduction potential) if you would like to find out more. Other reactions relate to ionic exchanges, which improves the effectiveness of the solution.

99.99% of the solution is water.  This shows how incredibly effective yet safe the solution must be to kill more than 99.99% of germs while also cleaning and deodorising!

The pH (a measure of acidity and alkalinity) of the solution is around 7.8 to 8.5, depending on the pH of the water to start with – the pH will move up about one point on activation. This means it’s mildly alkaline but not aggressive like common bleach which has a pH of 10 and above.

The solution is designed to remain effective for between five to seven days, after which point it reverts back to slightly salty water that can either be poured away or reactivated. Our advice is to make as much as you need for the cleaning job at hand and, as it’s virtually free to make, there’s no point in storing it for days. You simply make it on demand.

The activation of the solution is not affected by the chlorine in your tap water. The chlorine is derived from the salt (sodium chloride) added to the water.

Yes, Toucan has been extensively tested by Professor Darren Reynolds, Head of Department of Biological Biomedical and Analytical Sciences at the University of the West of England. It’s also been tested by certified laboratories to EN 14476, EN 16777, EN 1276 and EN 13697,  and is proven to be an effective way to disinfect and clean surfaces. These tests prove it is more than 99.99% effective against the likes of coronavirus, E. coli, MRSA, poliovirus, listeria and norovirus.

“The solutions generated by the Toucan units have been proven to destroy microorganisms very quickly and comprehensively using only water and salt,” explained Professor Reynolds. 

“They are highly effective against bacteria, viruses, spores and fungi, providing protection to water, surfaces, fabrics, foodstuffs and people”.

Independent tests prove that the solution kills on contact. That’s not the case with synthetic chemicals which can take 5, 10 or 15 minutes before wiping off. Please note, on cleaning task cards we show that the contact time – how long you wait between spraying the solution onto a surface and wiping off – is a minute. That’s because it’s the minimal test period for EN accredited laboratories.

And, how quickly do any surviving microorganisms recover and start to multiply after the solution has been applied? In trials, after 24 hours there wasn’t any evidence of regrowth.

When the body comes under attack from invading microbes and pathogens, the immune system responds by sending white blood cells called neutrophils straight to the infection. Once activated, these cells produce hypochlorous acid to eliminate infection. This is amongst the most potent and naturally occurring disinfectants.

Toucan Eco technology creates the same hypochlorous solution, but in a more concentrated form, and that’s why it’s safe and non-allergenic – and why cleaners like using it.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi sit amet placerat sapien. Suspendisse potenti. Nullam feugiat blandit mauris, non fringilla urna ultrices vel. Donec id urna consectetur, pellentesque libero rutrum, congue massa.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi sit amet placerat sapien. Suspendisse potenti. Nullam feugiat blandit mauris, non fringilla urna ultrices vel. Donec id urna consectetur, pellentesque libero rutrum, congue massa.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi sit amet placerat sapien. Suspendisse potenti. Nullam feugiat blandit mauris, non fringilla urna ultrices vel. Donec id urna consectetur, pellentesque libero rutrum, congue massa.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi sit amet placerat sapien. Suspendisse potenti. Nullam feugiat blandit mauris, non fringilla urna ultrices vel. Donec id urna consectetur, pellentesque libero rutrum, congue massa.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi sit amet placerat sapien. Suspendisse potenti. Nullam feugiat blandit mauris, non fringilla urna ultrices vel. Donec id urna consectetur, pellentesque libero rutrum, congue massa.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi sit amet placerat sapien. Suspendisse potenti. Nullam feugiat blandit mauris, non fringilla urna ultrices vel. Donec id urna consectetur, pellentesque libero rutrum, congue massa.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi sit amet placerat sapien. Suspendisse potenti. Nullam feugiat blandit mauris, non fringilla urna ultrices vel. Donec id urna consectetur, pellentesque libero rutrum, congue massa.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi sit amet placerat sapien. Suspendisse potenti. Nullam feugiat blandit mauris, non fringilla urna ultrices vel. Donec id urna consectetur, pellentesque libero rutrum, congue massa.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi sit amet placerat sapien. Suspendisse potenti. Nullam feugiat blandit mauris, non fringilla urna ultrices vel. Donec id urna consectetur, pellentesque libero rutrum, congue massa.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi sit amet placerat sapien. Suspendisse potenti. Nullam feugiat blandit mauris, non fringilla urna ultrices vel. Donec id urna consectetur, pellentesque libero rutrum, congue massa.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi sit amet placerat sapien. Suspendisse potenti. Nullam feugiat blandit mauris, non fringilla urna ultrices vel. Donec id urna consectetur, pellentesque libero rutrum, congue massa.

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Morbi sit amet placerat sapien. Suspendisse potenti. Nullam feugiat blandit mauris, non fringilla urna ultrices vel. Donec id urna consectetur, pellentesque libero rutrum, congue massa.