Lysol

Lysol (from the Greek, Lyo ' for dissolving and Latin oleum ' oil ) is the brand name of the world's first disinfectant, which is now distributed by the British company Reckitt Benckiser. The name is used both for the initial cleaning concentrate as well as room spray and cleaning cloths which are offset with the agent.

The main component of Lysol is benzalkonium chloride. As a cleaning emulsion, it is highly concentrated and must be diluted in warm water before use. Lysol as a five-percent concentrate is bactericidal, insecticidal above five percent concentration. At a concentration of only two percent it is widely used for the disinfection of rooms, furniture, clothing, toys and toilets as well as in veterinary medicine. High loads of the wastewater by Lysol are primarily caused by the use of the agent in hospitals and laundries. To date, this agent is spread worldwide as a household cleaner.

History

Lysol was developed by Gustav Raupenstrauch, who was then working as a department manager in the chemical experiment station and the Food Safety Department in Wiesbaden. He used this crude carbolic acid, a mixture of phenol and isomeric cresols obtained from coal and Beechwood. In conjunction with potash soap he could produce the water soluble agent, which was patented in the same year. In 1890, he joined the newly founded company Schulke & Mayr in Hamburg, which focused on the production of Lysol. Also there has been introduced as an antiseptic and the prophylaxis of infectious diseases. Important applications were from the beginning in surgery and in obstetrics. With the ten years later developed Sagrotan there was a trademark dispute, in which Schulke and Mayr were able to prevail in court.

Shortly thereafter, the U.S. company Lehn & Fink Inc. acquired from New York a production license and produced from 1912 even for the U.S. market. Under the name of " Lysol " marketed the company from the late 1920s, a product for feminine hygiene. The agent was used by vaginal lavage and for contraception. From the 1930s to the 1960s, this method was said to be the most popular birth control. The American Advertising attested high safety and efficacy through references of European Doctors.

In Europe, Lysol was first successfully used against the cholera epidemic of 1892 and then against the so-called "Spanish flu" that raged in many parts of Europe from 1918 to 1920.

In 1967, Lehn & Fink acquired by Sterling Drug. Sterling Drug, which had now changed its name to Sterling - Winthrop, were taken over by Reckitt Benckiser in 1994. Introduced as a private label products maintained over the years its name.

See also

Wofasept