The demand for high-performance surface disinfectants with demonstrated efficacy against both bacteria and viruses continues to drive the development of multi-component antimicrobial systems. Glycolic acid, an α-hydroxy acid with intrinsic antimicrobial activity, represents a promising foundation for such formulations, particularly when combined with complementary surfactant systems and auxiliary boosters. Commercial glycolic acid–based technologies such as Glyclean® D from PureTech Scientific offer broad-spectrum antimicrobial efficacy, one-step cleaning and disinfecting capability and improved environmental and user-safety profiles compared with some conventional chemistries. However, systematic evaluation of glycolic acid–based combinations across both bactericidal and virucidal endpoints under harmonized standards remains limited.
In this study, a structured screening and validation approach was employed to assess the antimicrobial performance of a range of glycolic acid–based formulations incorporating diverse surfactant classes and boosters. Candidate formulations inspired by commercial Glyclean® D platforms were screened using EN-standardized suspension tests for bactericidal and virucidal activity (EN 1276 and EN 14476), under defined clean or dirty conditions and against representative bacteria and viruses. Based on predefined performance criteria, a subset of formulations was selected for further evaluation using both suspension and surface-based methodologies, including EN 13697 for bactericidal activity alongside EN 14476 and EN 16777 for virucidal activity.
The screening phase enabled rapid identification of formulation systems exhibiting enhanced antimicrobial performance relative to glycolic acid alone, highlighting synergistic interactions between glycolic acid, surfactants and auxiliary boosters. Subsequent validation demonstrated that selected formulations achieved the required log₁₀ reduction thresholds for both bactericidal and virucidal claims under relevant test conditions.
Overall, this work establishes a robust framework for the development and evaluation of glycolic acid–based surface disinfectants, enabling efficient identification of formulations capable of meeting efficacy standards while maintaining practical application characteristics. The findings further support the applicability of Glyclean® D–type technologies for household, industrial and institutional surface disinfection applications.