Today Hilco Vision is releasing the results of a proprietary and first-of-its-kind study of frame material compatibility with surface cleaners that have environmentally friendly active ingredients.
The frame material compatibility study was commissioned by Hilco Vision and conducted at COLTS Laboratories. The work summarizes short and long term exposure to 5 natural active ingredients on more than 30 common frame materials. Representative frames were utilized to cover each major material and supporting frame components, like screws and nose pads, found in frame board frames. The overall outcome highlights that there are options among natural cleaning agents that can be integrated into cleaning and sanitization protocols while using these products as directed.
“Sanitization of practices has understandably been of elevated focus since March 2020. Sanitization of frames in dispensaries and retail settings comes with the need to manage the additional complexity of frame compatibility, as possible degradation is not necessarily immediate. We wanted to be sure we could provide the best possible guidance to the industry, anchored in rigorous testing, so stakeholders could identify what works best for their differing realities. There is no single right answer but there are some wrong ones and we knew we could leverage our experience in Lenscare cleaning products plus partnerships with very credible labs to provide where possible environmentally friendly recommendations. We see enhanced cleaning protocols as an ongoing reality.”
Ross Brownlee, CEO of Hilco Vision.
While it is nearly impossible to test all types of materials or combinations that exist on a frame board, the results point to HOCL, Thymol and Citric Acid based cleaning agents as options that could be considered for green cleaning in a practice due to their high level of compatibility in the soak tests. John Lakey, Hilco Vision Global Head of Marketing, noted, “While material compatibility is a complex topic more information gives everyone greater confidence in their selections of cleaning and sanitization solutions for optical. The active
ingredients that performed well here are found in many different EPA and FDA products which makes them good candidates to complement other practice health strategies. We will continue to build on our work in this area.”
Hilco Vision believes the evolution of cleaning and sanitization in optical will continue to be a key topic and that additional information will allow eye care professionals to adjust their procedures as conditions change.
To download a summary of Hilco Vision’s frame material compatibility information, please visit https://www.hilcovision.com/lp/frame-materials-compatibility-study.
For any additional questions pertaining to the study email practicehealth@hilco.com
