Patent ID: 8575085

Claim:
A method of substantially reducing or controlling the formation of microbial colonies on or at a hard surface or skin and providing a residual reduction or controlling effect on or at the hard surface or skin, the method comprising, applying to that hard surface or skin an anti-microbial composition comprising: (i) a quaternary ammonium compound having the formula R 1 R 2 R 3 R 4 N + X − , wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 represent, independently a substituted or unsubstituted and/or straight chain or branched and/or interrupted or uninterrupted alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl or alkenyl group or two or more of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 together with the nitrogen atom form a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic ring, and wherein the total number of carbon atoms in the groups R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 is at least 4; wherein the substituents for the groups R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 are selected from the group consisting of alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, substituted alkenyl, heterocyclyl, substituted heterocyclyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, alkylaryl, substituted alkylaryl, arylalkyl, substituted arylalkyl, F, Cl, Br, I, —OR′, —NR′R″, —CF 3 , —CN,—NO 2 , —C 2 R′, —SR′, —N 3 , —C(═O)NR′R″, —NR′C(═O)R″, —C(═O)R′, —C(═O)OR′, —OC(═O)R′, —O(CR′R″) r C(═O)R′, —O(CR′R″) r NR″C(═O)R′, —O(CR′R″) r NR″SO 2 R′, —OC(═O)NR′R″, —NR′C(═O)OR″, —SO 2 R′, —SO 2 NR′R″, and —NR′SO 2 R″; wherein R′ and R″ are individually hydrogen, C 1-8 alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocyclyl, aryl, or arylalkyl, and r is an integer from 1 to 6, or R′ and R″ together form a cyclic functionality; wherein the term “substituted” as applied to alkyl, alkenyl, heterocyclyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkylaryl and arylalkyl refers to the substituents described above, starting with F and ending with —NR′SO 2 R″; and wherein if each R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 is an unsubstituted or uninterrupted alkyl, each of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 and R 4 is independently methyl or a C 6-12 alkyl group; and wherein X − is halide or sulphonate; (ii) a siloxane selected from those having the formula (H 3 C)[SiO(CH 3 ) 2 ] n Si(CH 3 ) 3 and (H 3 C)[SiO(CH 3 )H] n Si(CH 3 ) 3 and mixtures thereof, wherein n is from 1 to 8; and (iii) a polar solvent; wherein the ratio of molecules of (i) to molecules of (ii) is from about 100:1 to about 5:1.