The Effectiveness of Neutral Electrolyzed Water for Decontaminating the Spray Nozzles of Electric Tankless and Tank-Type Warm-Water Bidet Toilet Seats

Electrolyzed water is a novel disinfectant that is widely used in the food industry. We conducted an experimental model-based study to determine the effectiveness of neutral electrolyzed water (NEW) for the daily nozzle cleaning of artificially contaminated tankless and tank-type bidet toilet seats. The toilet seats were designed to automatically self-clean the spray nozzles using tap water or NEW after each use or at specified intervals. The numbers of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Escherichia coli microorganisms in the spray water were measured twice or thrice per week. A Kruskal-Wallis test was used to compare the bacterial count in the spray water of various cleaning (NEW) and control (tap water) conditions. The number of bacteria was significantly lower in NEW conditions with and without periodic nozzle cleaning functions than in tap water conditions for both tank-type and tankless bidet toilet seats. Microorganisms were detected only on the surface area around the opening for ejecting spray water and not in the internal piping at the spray nozzle tip. These findings demonstrate that NEW has superior decontamination efficacy over tap water when used as a cleaning agent for the spray nozzles of warm-water bidet toilet seats.