-
Posts
-
Check this out……..
http://www.marble-institute.com/industryresources/sanitation.cfm
I’ve think I have seen this linked somewhere before?
At a glance the disproportionate removal of the little guys by wash and rinse on Granite makes me think there may be a beading effect of the sealer. I have zero granite experience so if this is ridiculus let me know.
Would be interesting to see how a freshly polished SS top would fare.
Chris
Notice that they don’t test solid surface. Solid Surface would be number one if they bothered to test it. When they did the test, solid surface existed and was a well known product. Wondered why they would forget to include it in the test.
Also if you read the entire article they don’t let the e-coli sit for very long. Let’s say you take a chicken and put it on a piece of granite. Now let’s say you clean, but not 100%. The e-coli grows down in the material all night and into the next day. Then where does the e-coli go. Doesn’t it grow down into the material and then no amount of cleaning will get it out.
They don’t say if it was sealed or not. If it was then they are relying on the sealer as protection and NOT the granite. They are reviewing the sealer and the effect of the e-coli on it. If it was to sit on the bare stone, then yes it would penetrate. Then, a test would need to show the time after the test.. If the vinegar wiped off the e-coli on the surface, what about in 2 weeks when any bacteria would grow.
Bottom line, this test looks as if it tested the sealer and not the stone… how skewed
The time that the E.coli was elected to set has the biggest influence on the entire test. Also if memory serves me right I can get different results if they are to use certain strains to test, some are more susceptible to simple cleaning vinager and others less. I am going to pull out and dust off my old bacteriology books and maybe find my notes and compare a few things. I might also talk to one of my old professors and see if I can get him to due some in house stuff with his students try and get some truley impartial results of some kind.
Is very interesting not seeinf them test it against solid surface.
Reuben
They can do all the tests they want. The bottom line, when asking a homeowner if their fabricator sealed their new stone tops, 9 out of 10 tell me: “They don’t know”.
THEY DON’T KNOW IF THEY WERE SEALED??
Scary, and asking for the bacteria dance…
I first heard this phrase years ago from Dani:
Granite tops, with their bacteria Condos.Funny stuff, man, funny stuff.
Tom
I think the real question, which they don’t say is how much bacteria is available to remove? In other words, if you have a surface, say Stainless which does not allow bacteria to grow, then the amount that will be killed will be much less than a surface that does allow it to grow. When I saw this at a Stone shop I asked that question and got a “screen saver” look on his face. I think this may be a case of figures don’t lie, but liers can figure. I think stone allows so much more bacteria to grow so of course more would be killed with cleaners. Solid surface does not allow it to grow so not much is available to be killed. We need, as Paul says, “the rest of the story”.
Good memory Tom
The test is a farce
I dated a Micro biologist for 5 years and she knows her poop. The average size of Escherichia coli is 1.1 to 1.5 µm wide by 2.0 to 6.0 µm long, that is like comparing a Basket ball to the Moon. It is all about how much bacteria was left behind on each product at the start, they did not test all products for a control count before the first washing. Without a control you have nothing to compare too. Products with greater porosity will leave behind greater amounts of bacteria when swiped than products with less porosity. After the bacteria swipe there would be more bacteria left behind on the granite than Concrete because the lime in the Concrete would kill off large numbers of bacteria. Stainless Steel less bacteria left behind because it is less porous, but the scratches in a #4 finish would allow greater numbers to be left behind. For Tile and Plastic Laminate the finish would grab bacteria, but far less than granite because they don’t have creators in them, and for wood the acids in the wood would kill off large numbers of bacteria. No acid or Lime in Granite meaning more bacteria left on the product. My point is if you start out with more bacteria on a product sure the numbers are going to be greater after an Acid wash because you have greater numbers to KILL and yes Granite has mega Condo complexes for bacteria even if sealed well. Don’t ask me call your local Micro biologist.Dani
So, the point is: All of you with stone tops will die a horrific death! Unless, sealed with:
Glad I could help.
To: Garis F. Distelhorst, CAE, Executive Vice President, Marble Institute of America
and
Robert Oxley, Executive Vice President, International Solid Surface Fabricators Association
Re: Setteling Granite Sanitation Claims
Gentlemen:
It has come to my attention that the Marble Institute of America has made claims as to the sanitary attributes of granite and that solid surface fabricators have found those claims wanting.
I propose that we settle this scientifically by plopping a dead chicken down on a piece of solid surface, unsealed granite, sealed granite and granite sealed with Dave’s magic granite sealing elixer in thefabricatornetwork booth at the start of the solid surface show.
One hour before the show closes, we will remove the dead chickens and have an independent labratory test and count bacteria. Whoever’s surface has the least bacteria shall have Mory Ludwick or his designee, using a Dani clamp, shave the head of the person with the most bacteria.
Your participation in resolving this is appreciated,
Joe Corlett
Joe wants to see someone get a head shave before the end of this coming expo, that’s for sure.But using a Dani clamp? I’m gonna have to start refering to the thousand – and – one(!) uses for a Dani clamp now.
Tom
Dave, it’s time. Get together a bunch of us flunkies to donate “X” amount of money to the Cleft-lip charity if Joe shaves his head. Joe? What’s your price?
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.