Barbicide makers capitalize on fear of germs

Peggy Dixon said she couldn't get enough of the wipes when she tested them at her salon, Harpo's, in the Milwaukee suburb of Whitefish Bay. She wasn't sure what to make of them, but ended up using about two dozen wipes a day to clean chairs, counters and even door knobs.

She said she notices when someone is coughing or spreading germs at the salon. Customers — especially those who follow sick ones — notice, too.

"Sometimes they'll give me a look like, 'OK, that's not good.' And then I'll just wipe down the chair," Dixon said.

Scares like MRSA make more people aware of disinfecting, said Bonnie Bonadeo, director of education and program development for the Professional Beauty Association, a trade group for the industry's manufacturers, distributors, salons and spas.

Each state has disinfecting requirements and salons are subject to random checks and fines if found to be noncompliant, she said.

Murphy said the company is now selling the wipes and hopes to have the first shipments out in a few weeks. They've been approved for sale by 40 states and the rest should be on board soon, he said.

The wipes have already received EPA approval as a hospital disinfectant. The EPA considers them capable of killing certain germs, like the HIV-1 virus, Hepatitis B, and the so-called 'super staph' infection — methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

Although the federal EPA approves such products and verifies their effectiveness, state entities license them for sale in each state.

Barbicide in its original liquid form just passed testing to show it can kill MRSA, and now King Research will seek approval of that by the EPA, Murphy said. The EPA recommends that salons completely replace their disinfectant containers, such as the Barbicide jar, each day, or whenever they become contaminated with dirt or debris.

At King Research's plant on the north side of Milwaukee, the company is adding production capacity, preparing for business to boom. The liquid form of Barbicide, made of isopropyl alcohol and ammonium, was brewed in 5,000-gallon batches by hand but that's been doubled to 10,000-gallon batches with new equipment that fills 90 half-gallon bottles a minute. The liquid for the wipes is also made at the plant, though the wipes are assembled by a company in Sheboygan, Wis., about 60 miles north.

Hundreds of boxes of the company's 20-some other products sit in the warehouse, including Clippercide, a top-selling disinfectant and lubricant for hair clippers, moisturizing cream Love & Kisses and Rinse No More shampoo.

King Research is working with industries overseas to tout disinfectants and encourage governments to adopt standards. Barbicide is available in 39 countries and Murphy and Schuele said they see growth opportunities in Germany, Italy and France, and parts of Africa and the Caribbean.

Domestically, King Research is launching a Web site in the coming months with interactives and games to help educate consumers and professionals about disinfecting. It has trademarked the phrase, "Are you blue?" and plans an advertising campaign in industry publications.

"'Are you blue?' is a fair question that anybody should ask when they go into those facilities," Murphy said. "Are you blue? What is your disinfection in your salon?"

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