Four Dangerous Pathogens PureCleanse™ Kills Rapidly

Author Ryan Hanes

Published Aug 13, 2025

Some of the most dangerous pathogens in healthcare aren’t just tough—they’re built to survive.

In this article we highlight four high-risk bacteria and fungi that challenge the prevention and management of wound infections, and show, through independent testing, how PureCleanse™ rapidly and safely neutralizes them, even in delicate wound care settings.

When it comes to controlling wound infections, not all antimicrobial agents are created equal—and neither are the microbes they're up against. Some pathogens resist traditional antimicrobial solutions, or require extended contact times, making them impractical for clinical wound care settings.

That's where hypochlorous acid (HOCl), the active ingredient in PureCleanse™ Antimicrobial Wound Solutions, stands out. In this article, we'll examine four clinically relevant pathogens and examine through third-party testing not only how quickly PureCleanse™ HOCl has been shown to eliminate them, but also how thoroughly.

Let's dive in.

Psudomonas aeruginosa bacteria shown floating

1. Pseudomonas aeruginosa

What is it? A common Gram-negative bacterium that thrives in moist environments and causes serious infections in wounds, burns, and immunocompromised patients¹⁻⁴.
Impact on health: Linked to sepsis and chronic wound infections¹⁻⁴. Known for forming biofilms and resisting multiple antibiotics¹⁻⁴.
Challenge(s): Alcohol-based topical antimicrobials have shown limited efficacy against biofilm-forming strains, and other more effective conventional antimicrobial agents are not suitable or ideal for use in open wounds or burns¹⁻⁴.
PureCleanse™ efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa: Kills 99.9999% within 20 seconds to achieve high log reduction—without cytotoxicity, in a skin-safe formulation suitable for burns and open wounds.

Sometimes, seeing is believing. Watch through the microscope lens as our PureCleanse™ super oxidizing saline (HOCl) solution takes on regular saline in an efficacy comparison on Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results are staggering in favour of PureCleanse™, and the difference in efficacy is immediately apparent.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) shown floating

2. Escherichia coli (E. coli)

What is it? A bacterium found in the intestines; while some strains are harmless, certain types can cause food-borne illness and other systemic infections⁵.
Impact on health: This bacterium is particularly dangerous for the elderly, immunocompromised, and young children⁵. E. coli presents a wide array of complications, including delayed healing and infection, if it enters the wound bed. This is particularly a concern for patients requiring ongoing ostomy care.
Challenge(s): Sodium hypochlorite is effective⁶ but irritating to skin and mucous membranes; not ideal for use around wounds or damaged tissues.
PureCleanse™ efficacy against E. coli: Kills 99.999% within 5 minutes, providing rapid disinfection with no rinse required and skin-safe application.

3. Candida auris

What is it? A drug-resistant fungal pathogen that can spread rapidly in healthcare facilities⁷⁻⁹.
Impact on health: Causes bloodstream infections with high mortality rates, particularly in ICU patients⁷⁻⁹. Known for causing hospital outbreaks⁷⁻⁹.
Challenge(s): Many standard antimicrobial solutions, including some alcohols, are ineffective at eliminating this fungus, and can be unsuitable for topical application to compromised skin, such as burn wounds⁷⁻⁹.
PureCleanse™ efficacy against Candida auris: Kills 99.99997% within 2 minutes, making it an effective and safe option for clinical environments.

Klebsiella pneumoniae bacteria shown floating

4. Klebsiella pneumoniae

What is it? A Gram-negative bacterium that is commonly found in wounds, particularly burn wounds and surgical sites, which can lead to serious infections if not addressed ¹º⁻¹².
Impact on health: Known for carbapenem resistance (CRE), a “superbug” concern in hospitals¹º⁻¹².
Disinfectant challenge: Chlorhexidine (CHG) has shown efficacy against reducing skin flora, but topical application of CHG may cause skin irritation, especially on compromised skin, such as burn wounds ¹º⁻¹².
PureCleanse™ efficacy against Klebsiella pneumoniae: Kills >99.99% within 5 minutes, eliminating the pathogen rapidly with no adverse effects on skin or mucosal tissue.

PureCleanse™ Time Kill Summary

Pathogen	Elimination*	Kill Time*
Pseudomonas aeruginosa	99.9999%	20 seconds
Escherichia coli (E. coli)	99.999%	5 minutes
Candida auris	99.99997%	2 minutes
Klebsiella pneumoniae	>99.99%	5 minutes

* Full testing data on file. Biomiq Inc. 2025.

The Bottom Line: You Don't Need to Compromise Between Safety, Efficacy, and Efficiency

Many conventional antimicrobial agents present the ongoing issue of safety vs. strength: they may kill germs but harm tissue and irritate sensitive skin or mucosal tissue. PureCleanse™, by contrast, is tissue-safe, non-irritating, and since it's naturally produced in our bodies it's completely biocompatible. At the same time, PureCleanse™ is able to achieve rapid log reductions in seconds against even the most resistant, high-risk pathogens.

With our PureCleanse™ line of hypochlorous acid—also referred to as super oxidizing saline—wound cleansing solutions, you don’t need to choose between speed, safety, and efficacy. You and your patients simply benefit from all three.

Read more about PureCleanse™ here, or visit our Wound Care page to learn more.

References

Bassetti, M., Vena, A., Croxatto, A., Righi, E., & Guery, B. (2018). How to manage Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections. Drugs in context, 7, 212527.
Serra, R., Grande, R., Butrico, L., Rossi, A., Settimio, U. F., Caroleo, B., ... & De Franciscis, S. (2015). Chronic wound infections: the role of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Expert review of anti-infective therapy, 13(5), 605-613.
Kurahashi, K., Kajikawa, O., Sawa, T., Ohara, M., Gropper, M. A., Frank, D. W., ... & Wiener-Kronish, J. P. (1999). Pathogenesis of septic shock in Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia. The Journal of clinical investigation, 104(6), 743-750.
Augustine, H., Gillis, J., & Williams, J. (2015). Pseudomonas aeruginosa wound infections: a critical appraisal of topical antiseptics. Dalhousie Medical Journal, 42(1).
Kaper, J. B., Nataro, J. P., & Mobley, H. L. (2004). Pathogenic escherichia coli. Nature reviews microbiology, 2(2), 123-140.
Cho, M., Kim, J., Kim, J. Y., Yoon, J., & Kim, J. H. (2010). Mechanisms of Escherichia coli inactivation by several disinfectants. Water research, 44(11), 3410-3418.
Jeffery-Smith, A., Taori, S. K., Schelenz, S., Jeffery, K., Johnson, E. M., Borman, A., ... & Brown, C. S. (2018). Candida auris: a review of the literature. Clinical microbiology reviews, 31(1), 10-1128.
Rhodes, J., & Fisher, M. C. (2019). Global epidemiology of emerging Candida auris. Current opinion in microbiology, 52, 84-89.
Lone, S. A., & Ahmad, A. (2019). Candida auris—the growing menace to global health. Mycoses, 62(8), 620-637.
Effah, C. Y., Sun, T., Liu, S., & Wu, Y. (2020). Klebsiella pneumoniae: an increasing threat to public health. Annals of clinical microbiology and antimicrobials, 19, 1-9.v
Navon-Venezia, S., Kondratyeva, K., & Carattoli, A. (2017). Klebsiella pneumoniae: a major worldwide source and shuttle for antibiotic resistance. FEMS microbiology reviews, 41(3), 252-275.
Gasink, L. B., Edelstein, P. H., Lautenbach, E., Synnestvedt, M., & Fishman, N. O. (2009). Risk factors and clinical impact of Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae. Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, 30(12), 1180-1185.