Efficacy Testing Results

Clinical Field Study in Long-Term Care Setting

Real-world evaluation at a Toronto long-term care facility found that high-touch surfaces treated with GermStopSQ carried substantially lower recoverable microbial burden than comparable surfaces treated with the facility’s reference hospital-grade hydrogen peroxide disinfectant.

Across 29 surface samples analyzed by CREM Co Labs, GermStopSQ-treated surfaces showed a median recovery of 436.7 colony-forming units (CFU), compared with 17,701.9 CFU on reference-disinfectant surfaces. This represents a 40.5-fold, 97.5%, or 1.61-log₁₀ lower median recoverable microbial burden with GermStopSQ under real-world operating conditions.

GermStopSQ and the reference disinfectant were applied under the facility’s standard cleaning protocol. GermStopSQ was applied to eligible high-touch surfaces on the fourth floor, while the reference disinfectant was used on floors one through three. The study assessed washroom surfaces, public-area tables, and elevator touch panels over multiple sampling dates in June 2026.

The study found lower median CFU on GermStopSQ-treated surfaces compared with the reference disinfectant on every surface type sampled: 89.4 times lower for washroom surfaces, 21.9 times lower for table surfaces, and 8.9 times lower for elevator touch panels. CFU recovery from GermStopSQ-treated surfaces also remained well below the reference median at each post-application time point measured: 4, 12, and 16 hours after treatment.

To get a copy of the report, please email info@germstopsq.ca.

Senior citizen sitting together at home while one woman speaks with a caregiver

Toxicity

Our advanced drug carrier technology results in higher efficacy with smaller amounts of quaternary ammonium compounds (quats). For example, GermStopSQ contains 6 times less quats then our closest competitor, which is a residual sanitizer (i.e., lower efficacy), not a residual disinfectant.

An independent toxicologist compared the safety of GermStopSQ to other hare surface disinfectants. As an example, the U.S. EPA requires warnings on hard surface disinfectant products based on oral toxicity, these range from Category I (highly toxic) to Category IV (relatively non-toxic). Based on the EPA criteria and on the results of the oral toxicity study, GermStopSQ would be classified as Category IV (relatively non-toxic). For comparison, concentrated bleach solutions are classified as Category I and other quats would be classified as Category III. The toxicity study results from GermStopSQ indicate that it is less toxic than many other hard surface disinfectants.

For reasons such as these, Health Canada provided approval for GermStopSQ in all use areas, including domestic (i.e., residential homes).