Does Miracle Germ Killing Product Live Up To Its Hype?

It’s one of those things that sounds too good to be true, but its creator swears it is.

And scientists are increasingly becoming convinced he’s right.

It’s a cleaning agent that not only kills potentially harmful bacteria, germs, mold and mildew, but removes odours and stains as well.

And it has a big side bonus – the active agent is so safe, you can actually drink it.

It’s called the Lotus Sanitizing System and it contains a special secret ingredient: your own tap water.

Strange as it sounds, the device that earned Time Magazine’s Invention of the Year Award in 2006 actually appears to do what it claims.

How is that possible?

The secret lies in the machine that puts ozone into the H20 from your kitchen tap.

“We’re taking the oxygen in that water and just converting it to super oxygen,” explains inventor Steve Hengsperger. “So we’re taking the O2 and converting it to O3.”

He calls ozone a “natural sanitizer” that’s 50 percent stronger than bleach and works 3,000 times faster. And he maintains that not even mutated germs can survive its power.

Water that’s treated with the substance is harmless to kids, pets and plants and doesn’t hurt the environment, unlike some cleaners laced with ammonia or other chemicals.

It breaks down completely after about 15 minutes and is always potable.

Researchers say you can spray it on a diaper pail or a laundry hamper as a disinfectant.

You can use it to kill invisible nasties lurking on stove and kitchen countertops.

And scientists swear you can even spray it on food to kill any microorganisms lurking there. (See test results, below)

“It is taking 99.999 percent of all bacteria, viruses, and it’s also taking pesticides off of there,” Hengsperger declares.

The invention comes with a variety of different models, including one for your kitchen and food and even one for your toothbrush.

Treating the water requires buying the unit and that involves a not so minor monetary outlay, although the manufacturers believe you’ll make it back by not having to purchase any other clearing products at your store.

It costs around Cdn.$200 to get it into your home, but once you’ve got one, it’s supposed to last for years.

So does it live up to its hopeful hype? CityNews took the gizmo to Michelle Dosa’s house. The first challenge: caked on make-up.

The Lotus made quick work of it and moved on to a new target – the smell emanating from a gym bag full of hockey equipment. A few sprays later, and it was gone.

Dosa was impressed. “I really don’t like to use chemicals in my house at all,” she admits. “I stick with vinegar or baking soda.”

How well did the gadget do in lab tests, after ozonized water was put on various substances for just 30 seconds? Here are the results.  
 
E. coli reductions

Tomato: 99.9%
Grapes: 99.9%
Snow Pea: 99.8%
Kumquat: 99.8%

Listeria reductions

Tomato: 99.9%
Grapes: 99.0%
Snow Pea: 99.6%
Kumquat: 97.5%

Salmonella reductions

Tomato: 99.9%
Grapes: 99.9%
Snow Pea: 99.5%
Kumquat: 99.2%

The product is on sale at Canadian Tire stores in Canada and is expected to be in Home Depot and Home Outfitter locations soon. For more information, click here.