Lotus Sanitizing System Ozonator for Your Home

I've posted a review at Leafygreen on Lotus

... or, if you're afraid of e.coli, you could just eat local instead.

Ozone should not be the saving grace of cleaning products. Ozone at ground level is actually a pollutant according to the World Health Organization. Like the article said, "it is the same ozone...that makes breathing difficult". It is also a greenhouse gas at lower levels of the atmosphere. Just take a look at Wikipedia or some other source before you applaud this device.

My mom and I looked into buying this unit, yet we discovered that the container that the fruits/vegetables sits in to be neutralized of harmful pesticides is actually a #7 PLASTIC!! Not only is it NOT recyclable, a #7 Plastic is one of the MOST HARMFUL plastics out there!! (Why else would they have pulled Nalgene bottles off the shelves!!). SO...why CAN't they use something better to house the food we are trying to rid of harmful products? Why CAN"T they use something that won't be tossed into a landfill after disposal???

Seems ok, but the idea of having O3 on my home (which should not naturally be on this level of atmosphere) is a little unnerving.

An if it chemically alters/breakdown the pesticides, what does it do to the food itself? If this item has a lot more testing for safety, I'd buy it.

I have the same concerns as the above poster. I read a review (I believe it was from consumer reports) stating that elevated levels of ozone were measured in the air surrounding the unit. Exposure to ozone is very very harmful to human health.

I wish there were some more detailed studies on this, but until there are I do not consider it worth the risk. I am not a scientist, nor can I say with any authority that this product is dangerous, but it's not something I'm willing to risk without more research.

#7 plastic is the label given to any plastic that doesn't fit into the other categories, for example any blends of multiple plastics or compostable plastics. Definitely not easily recyclable, but I don't think you can assume that this plastic has BPA in it just from the #7 label.

Commenters are correct to show concern about the health effects of ozone. It is true that companies that sell such devices should be required to clearly prove the limits within which the device can be used and meet established health standards.

However, ozone is a better alternative to chlorine and other chemical disinfectants. These chemical disinfectants are also present in the air around the bottles of chemicals and remain in your house after you use them.

So the best solution is the result of a risk analysis. Which is the case where the hazard x exposure is worst:
(a) eating foods contaminated with e. coli or worse?
(b) breathing chlorine, and related chlorinated organics which arise during use of chlorinated products, and flushing persistant, toxic chlorine down the drain?
(c) pushing start on the ozonator and then evacuating the area while the automatic processors do the work, then using the ozonated water with care, resulting in a safe, non-toxic, sanitized home?

Obviously, if there is no risk of (a), there is no need for b or c. Problem solved.

If there is really a risk of (a), not just a fear-hyped angst but a real risk, then ozone offers a good compromise. Especially for treating foods, where simple soap and water is an unsatisfactory answer.

I don't really see the need for this product. I just keep a container of baking soda by the kitchen sink and wash fruits and vegetables using a liberal sprinkling of baking soda followed with a rinsing with water. A toothbrush works well to work it into more dimpled fruit rinds. Cheap, easy, and environmentally friendly!

If you want one, Costco.com has them for $99.99 through May 11. Includes: Extra Booster Cartridges and Microcotton Cleaning Cloths and shipping & handling. Item # 299892

Or, instead of buying another plastic consumer gadget, we can just get the organic produce that never had pesticides hosed over it in the first place.

You units don't make any sense when you're talking about the power usage. Please clarify. If you mean energy, the units are Wh (watt-hours). Watt/hour in the parenthetical is a nonsense unit. Watt is power, but also described as a rate of energy use or dissipation.(energy/time). Wh is a unit of energy.

"ozone generation consumes about 2 watts of electricity (30 watts/hour x 250 seconds)"

I can't find the manufacturer's statement of power or energy use to try to make sense of it.

On the other side of things, I think some of the claims are very sensational and make things sound like you're screwed if you're not doing something like this. It has obvious uses, but seems to prey on the paranoid and naive for much of its use.

I'd like to see the response from Tersano about the #7 plastic. It falls outside my expertise to know if the ozone will increase leaching of the bad guys out of the plastic. Nonetheless, it sure seems they either timed it wrong or didn't pay attention to the concerns of the market they are shooting for. :)

I'm fully against products that produce ozone that is potentially breathable, but it's unclear with this product what the risk is in usual use. Overall, I think Billygoat makes some good points, though.

==auth. note==
My apologies for the units, refresher course needed. I have corrected the figure in the article to correctly read that one ozonation cycle requires 2Whrs (30 watts x 250 seconds) -- hoping my math is better than my physiks! You can find the manufacturer's data in the "troubleshooting" tab.

This is a simillar to Dr. Hulda Clark's ozonator.

I clean with NON toxic stuff. Not slightly less toxic stuff.

Ozone is incredibly harmful.

hi guys, just my 2cents

on Dave's comment that ozone is harmful when produced at ground level...YES that is correct, however bear in mind that ozone is everywhere around us and you have to live with it whether you like it or not. Being humans, we are able to control the output of Ozone to a safe level so it can be used to our advantage. Same like fire, too big a fire and it will burn your house down. Too small a fire and you cant cook your meal.

on the #7 plastic...this is bad because ozone will react with the plastic and in time it will break it down causing discoloration and brittleness. The best container to use it is in a glass or stainless steel bowl.

on baking soda...how much baking soda is sufficient? How long should you scrub the fruits? There is if you guys want to learn more email me at jianchung@yahoo.com

Yes, nontoxic is best. But it will not disinfect/sanitize. This product may prey on the overblown fears of the media-targeted masses, but the growth of triclosan and antibacterials in soaps is proof that people need a "placebo" at least, if not an effective solution. I would rather have them breathing ozone in the comforts of their own home (which probably is not happening, unless this manufacturer has no brains or no lawyers) than pouring triclosan, chlorine and other baddies into MY environment.

"Because ozone falls apart leaving ordinary water behind, it is impossible to buy ozonated cleaners at your local store."

Bull crap, Ozone is three oxygen molecules, when it brakes down it brakes down into oxygen, there is no hydrogen there to create water and it doesn't anyway, it just breaks down!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ozone go read that.

Second ozone has been in use in the home for decades!!!

It has been used in the aquarium industry for gawd knows how long. Its not new, nothing is!

I have an ozone generator when I had a marine aquarium, was ripper, made the water crystal clear!

anywho, theres a few inaccuracies in that article, I'd recommend heavy fact checking!

===Auth. note===
Hello Ben,
Do you speak to people in person in the tone you use in your comments? Just curious.

Anyhow, you are correct that the decomposition of ozone does not create water in the sense that a hydrogen fuel cell creates water as waste. In this case, water is the solvent carrying the O3. When O3 breaks down to O2, what is left is normal, unozonated water.

However, for readers who want to understand the break down of ozone in water, it is more complex than the O3 - O2 balance which the wiki article describes in air. When O3 is in water (H2O), the breakdown occurs via steps involving a hydroxyl free radical (*OH), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), incorporating the oxygen atoms from the ozone into the molecules of the water before ultimately resulting in H2O and O2 as end products (leaving out the complications of other by-products from reactions with other molecules dissolved in the water). The end result is that it is not exactly correct to simply say that the ozone breaks down into oxygen (O2) in the case of an aqueous solution of ozone.

The author apologizes to readers for the lack of clarity in the explanations but begs a bit of consideration for the attempt to explain a complicated chemistry to a mixed audience.

Ground level ozone at ambient concentration is formed INDIRECTLY in photochemical smog, which is caused by release of volatile organic compounds and from car exhaust.

DIRECT creation of ozone can be from any corona discharge. Any electric appliance with an electric motor creates a small amount of "sparking" and that ionizes oxygen to create ozone. This includes washing machines, dish washers, hair dryers, fans, etc.

Persons with asthma or other lung disease probably would not want to buy an ozonator.

What does this do that one part water to one part white vinegar doesnt? I mean, other than costing $100.

Honestly, I think you are too dismissive of the risk even though you may
ultimately be right. As I said, I'm not a scientist, but I'm far more
concerned with ozone exposure than exposure to low levels of chlorine. What
is more, I do not use any chlorine based cleaners, and in fact only use
products from 7th generation or clorox's "green line" (which are apparently
very good and I am happy with them).

So from a risk management standpoint, I still would not use this system.

Another of my hobbies is salt water aquarium keeping, and for many years I
used an ozonizer to help clean and remove dissolved organics from the water
column. Ozone does make the aquarium's water clearer (its currently debated
whether it actually helps dissolve and export organics but that's beside
the point), but I stopped using it after I read about the health risks.
This article has some great information on the safety and health risks.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-04/rhf/index.php#14

As I said, all in all, you may be right that this product is safe (or
safer) to use. However, in my opinion there are far too many unknowns to
make it worthwhile to start using this over natural/organic cleaners and
good ol' fashioned washing and scrubbing your produce. I honestly think
it's a little irresponsible for this company to put a product on the market
without full disclosure. I sincerely hope this product is safe to use, if
not, I fear a plaintiffs products liability lawyers will have a heydey.

Just another unnecessary product pandering to America's germaphobia. Antimicrobial soaps, ozonators, sanitizing hand lotions and the like are largely unneeded. There is bacteria everywhere and you simply can't and shouldn't try to kill it all. Most bacteria works commensualistically with our environment and keeps the really nasty bacteria from overgrowing and causing clinical disease. This is clearly not always the case, but most of this can be avoided with washing the items in question with plain old biodegradable soap and water.

You are correct about ozone in air, but when put in water it is perfectly safe and totally effective. You guys know how to search the net, you will find countless examples of how this is used everyday. The best example I can mention is Olympic swimming pool venues, they have to use ozonated water, instead of chlorine. Actually, Disney, Sea World and countless other water parks use this same technology. As for harmful to asthma sufferers, we have countless testimonials that say the contrary. Let's face it, we need to get rid of ALL those cleaners, regular or green, they are not safe and that is what is causing respiratory problems.

We do not use Polycarbonate plastic for any of our attachments, we use a BASF SAN material which is BPA-free.

Using ozone in water is actually an FDA and USDA approved process for removing pesticides and germs. There are quite a few distributors that already use this process and the biggest benefit is that it DOES NOT alter your produce in any way except for getting rid of all the bad stuff. Just take it home and try it, you will see for yourself that your produce will last up to 4 times longer without that stuff that you can't see on it.

Folks, obviously you are all internet saavy, take a look around, two articles recently out to inform you that rinsing under the tap will not get rid of bacteria or pesticides. Only a bleach and water mix (not baking soda) got rid of 60% and if you are buying organic you need to worry about bacteria, plus they still have pesticide on them, and if you are buying local or regular then you should be worried about pesticides. The lotus is EPA registered to get rid of 99.9% of bacteria and up to 99% of pesticides...nothing like it on the market...absolutely nothing!! Even oncologist approved and recommended!

I agree with the person that mentioned buying organics and we wouldn't need a product like this.

Gloria, contrary to your belief about organics you should still be concerned about bacteria on your produce. Like Steve mentioned rinsing them under tap water does not kill any bacteria.

Trust me, if you are buying organic, you need to worry about bacteria...what do you think it grew in? We were named one of Time Magazines top inventions because 3 people died of EColi on organic bagged spinach...we were the only solution out there that killed 99.9%.

Help me here, why would anyone like the smell of vinegar throughout their house? And if you are mixing it according to the blogger above, what are you really doing, are there any reports (EPA, FDA or USDA) that show the effectiveness of such a concoction?

Oops, forgot to answer the power consumption question. At 35 Watts, equates to about .05 cents per use so obviously very environmentally friendly!! Plus, by doing this and using your own tap water, you're taking more trucks off the road from transporting other cleaning products around the country...same analogy as bottled water so I'm sure everybody can relate.

Baking soda may not 'sanitize' but cleansing with it will remove E-coli and other potentially harmful bacteria from vegetables and fruit rinds (like cantaloupe, that can transfer bacteria from the outer rind to the inner fruit when you cut through it). I bought a plastic bottle of baking soda that has a sprinkler top, meant to use as you would cleanser, but with with a safer alternative. I buy baking soda in a big bag and refill this bottle with it.
As to how much baking soda is required, and how long to scrub with it, that's up to the individual, and how paranoid and/or how much of a clean freak they are. For me, rubbing a bit of baking soda on my avocados or limes (for example) and rinsing and drying them takes but a few extra seconds. I'm not really worried about food making me sick, but I take basic precautions because I've gotten sick so many times from food before.
I really don't need any more small appliances crowding my counters and electrical outlets, and I've read that buying ionizing air cleaners is a bad idea because ionization creates harmful ozone. How is this product different?

At first when I saw this product I was amazed. Wow! All natural water can replace all my cleaners and remove pesticides from my foods? It sounded too good to be true. The more I thought about it the more I think it is too good to be true. I agree with many of these comments here. Ozone is not supposed to be inside my home. Just because it's advertised as 'safe' because it's 'only water', doesn't make it so. Rocket ful is made from the same molecules as water, too, and nobody would agree that rocket fuel is a safe cleaner. Go back to the drawing board, because we're not buyin'.

Wendy,

If water could launch rockets or sanitize surfaces, all of our problems would be much worse: probably no life at all. Water makes life possible. Only a chemical which has some toxic or harmful characteristics can sanitize, because the product by definition must kill the target bacteria. This protects human health; and in spite of all out fears, humans are living longer, healthier lives than most of history.

The problem is this: we use things to meet our needs and then "dump" the leftover chemicals in the environment. Where it is now building up to the point of threatening our own welfare (so we start to care...harrumpph, we so overestimate our wisdom).

That is where ozone is "good" but "true". It will perform where it is needed. And immediately return to a non-harmful state.

But, please, don't replace all of your cleaners with ozone. Vinegar and lemon juice have their place. Use the ozone only where it is needed, specifically where bacteria should be significantly reduced to protect human health (keeping in mind that exposure to many not-so-harmful bugs and dirt is considered good for the immune system of normal healthy people by much research).

Wendy,
Sorry to burst your bubble, but the air in your house already has more ozone in it than what our system produces in the water. Mother Nature produces ozone everyday, trying to eliminate other harmful toxins from the air. Not only that, but if you are concerned, I would remove every photocopier and put them outside too because guess what, they also produce more ozone than our unit. Ozone in water makes a great cleaner, it breaks down proteins that cause a dirt to become a stain, making it easier to wipe up. Once again, and maybe I am just all for people with multiple chemical sensitives, but who wants to smell vinegar or baking soda in their house?

I have been searching the net for data on how well baking soda either removes or kills E Coli and I can't find anything conclusive. Can somebody point me in the right direction here?

I'm still undecided about the validity of the unit and its safety, I will continue to research. I do appreciate that Mr. Hengsperger is responding individually to the concerns expressed. (His bias notwithstanding.) I'm more convinced of his sincerity than Dow claiming that using methane to power their poison-manufacturing plant amounts to environmental freindliness.

And thanks for this forum to explore these options.

I don't think I would invest in it. Not just because it is an expensive item (at least, to me it is), but, just like monoboyzmom mentions, there are alternate solutions to getting your veggies and fruits clean. Frankly, "sanitizing" my food, sounds very distasteful. I like mine with a little extra!

What if we offered a special 'try it, you'll like it' program where you can take the product home to try it before we ask you to pay for it? Maybe we even offer a better price?
It is difficult for some to justify this product for just the produce side but if you use it to clean your house, you will be truly amazed and the payback is significant. My wife and I haven't used anything other than the lotus for almost 4 years now...that's for cleaning, deodorizing and even removing stains from carpet, upholstery or clothing! Even my kids, now 8 and 9, can use it. I like to compare it to a steamer in that except it is way safer to use and it does everything, even your produce. Yes, I'm biased, of course, but when I read that cancer patients can't eat produce, not even if they really scrub them because they are just too contaminated, I can't help but wonder what is on them and why it is safe for the rest of us to still eat them? We are an interesting society, when we get sick after eating at a restaurant, we all blame the restaurant, yet if we get sick at home, we are too afraid to admit that it was the food we ate, or possibly even the water we drank. Statistics show that 3 out of the 4 times that we get sick is from just this, foodborne and waterborne disease right in our own homes. And don't let me get into the poisoning statistics...anyway...thanks for letting me speak my mind in this forum!

Steve,

Assuming you're touting the Lotus, I have a couple of questions for you. The claims that it kills bacterias and such are interesting, but I'm concerned with molds and fungi, specifically stachybotrys.

How does the Lotus system work on molds and fungi, specifically the neurotoxic variety that grow in garages and attics? Can the ozinated water be used in a carpet shampooer? And is the water also safe for the monthly cleaning out the coffee maker and other appliances?

Yes, the lotus 'charged' water will kill mold, mildew and fungus. If you do a quick search on the net you will find a lot of commercial guys that are in the business of removing this from your home and they virtually all use ozone in one way, shape or form.
I use the ozonated water all the time in my liittle Bissell Spot Remover. I have used it head-to-head with their own chemical cleaner they sell and get way better results with the lotus water.
The lotus, to me, is the best cleaner on the market. I use ozonated water in my pool and my hot tub. We have just taken that technology and miniaturized it and I don't think there is anything better for cleaning your appliances. The best part...no residue from either chemicals or even vinegar or baking soda!

Could you explain more clearly why ozone in water is safe? I'm going on basic chemistry here but it seems like to make this work you have to have a lot of O molecules floating around combining randomly with whatever they come in contact with. Doesn't this combine with nitrogen in the air and make dangerous gases? Also, why should we be using tap water? Wouldn't distilled water be better because it would have fewer contaminates?

Would this say, clean soap scum off the shower, or is it primarily for disinfecting?

Emily,
The lotus is primarily a cleaner, but , I am also proud to say it is the only green cleaner out there that is also able to pass the EPA's tests to be able to call itself a sanitizer. It kills mold and mildew, removes soap scum and so much more. I would ask that you visit the Tersano website to get more information but we are basically giving you a way to go back to the old ways where you used just one product to do all fo your cleaning and deodorizing around your home.
You are correct in that it would perform better with distilled water but not everybody wants to go through that trouble so we have designed it so that it works using municipally treated tap water. On that note, there are a few areas around the US where we have had to ask consumers to use filtered water, but mainly in cases where they were on well or lake water.
On the safety side, the extra O atoms end up combining with each other before anything else, reverting right back to plan old oxygen again, or O2. This technology is used by every Olympic venue swimming pool, and even Disney and Sea World and a host of other water parks. It is more powerful than bleach yet you can swim in it all day and no harm done...simply amazing!! We were named one of Time Magazines Best Inventions and I was recently named Innovator of the Year because of this device. Of course, it is hard to imagine for about 99.9% of the people, so we realize we have a long road ahead of us to educate everybody on our technology and the benefits we have over conventional cleaners, green cleaners, or even home made recipes using vinegar or baking soda.

Steve,
after the ozone reacts with the pesticides and bacterial toxins, what are the byproducts, are they rendered inactive and harmless. please direct me to research that I can read about this.
Thank you, Carol

Carol,

please check www.tersano.com under the Lotus Sanitizing System click on How Effetive Are We?

There are lists of all the information you need to protect your home and your family using the Lotus Sanitzing System!

Thanks for your comment!

Some fruites / vegetables absorb pesticide all the way through - (potatoes). How is this going 'cleanse' all of the pesticide from inside of the item? (I think this is BS)

I don't get it. Wouldn't dissolving a couple of tablespoons of hydrogen peroxide in a quart or so of water accomplish the same thing? Maybe a pint bottle of H2O2 at $1.00 from your local drugstore might last a month? That means this machine would have to last 8 years+ for a payback. And if you got the peroxide on sale at a lower price, like 50 cents, odds are this machine is broken or malfunctioning before the costs even out.

Also, oxygen in this case is being used as a free radical to chemically combine with various molecules and other tiny items to "neutralize" them. But for the most part they are still there and you are still eating degraded dirt and bacterial/mold parts amd maybe some broken down pesticide products. They are still there - they don't just magically disappear poof, like a magician trick.

You might want to check out how CBC "busted" this product
http://www.cbc.ca/marketplace/2009/generation_cellphone/busted.html