Wipe for use with a germicidal solution

Abstract

An antimicrobial wipe that contains a polymer coating having a synergistic combination of ingredients for providing controlled release of an antimicrobial agent and also good antimicrobial efficacy is provided. One such ingredient is a high molecular weight polyamideamine release agent. Due to the polycationic nature of the release agent, it is able to adhere to the wipe, which is generally formed from fibers having a negative surface charge (e.g., cellulosic fibers). In this manner, the release agent can occupy binding sites on the wipe to inhibit the antimicrobial agent from adhering thereto, thus allowing it to be expressed in the germicidal solution to kill microbes on the desired surface. The adherence of the release agent to the wipe is even further enhanced by crosslinking the polyamideamine to increase its molecular weight, thereby enabling it to form a structural network that physically adheres to the wipe and that blocks the antimicrobial agent from binding thereto. Furthermore, the polyamideamine is amidated so that it contains secondary and/or tertiary amides. A cell permeabilizer is also employed in the polymer coating to enhance the efficacy of the antimicrobial agent during use. More particularly, polycationic materials are particularly useful in permeabilizing the outer cell membrane without adversely impacting the ability of the polyamideamine to release the antimicrobial agent within the wipe.