Dutch architect Jan de Rijk was frustrated with the water in his hot tub. There were funny smells, debris on the walls. He began investigating it as a hobby, pinpointing biofilm as the culprit to all his water problems. He eventually teamed up with a Ph.D. who helped him develop AquaFinesse, a hot tub water treatment.
Biofilm, the polysaccharide layer that shelters bacteria, is difficult for sanitizers to penetrate. “The aerobic and anaerobic bacteria can live there undisturbed, multiply and grow,” de Rijk says. “We found a natural salt composition that works in synergy with chlorine that is able to open the biofilm and loosen it from the substrate. You bring the debris that was on the wall in pieces into the water. The bacteria are now free floating and they become vulnerable to the biocides.”
All in all, the team studied biofilm for about seven years — how it acts, how it exists, how bacteria grow and how they behave in the water.
In addition to clearing the biofilm, AquaFinesse also creates a molecular environment where reattachment of biofilm is impossible, through the use of negative and positive charges, says Bob Snodgrass, vice president of sales and marketing for AquaFinesse. Snodgrass describes it as trying to push the opposite sides of two magnets together.
De Rijk says this way of looking at bacteria is revolutionary. “Everybody thinks if you have bacteria you need to sanitize,” he says. “But this is another way of thinking, we actually take away their breeding ground.”
AquaFinesse will soon release the Dead Sea Minerals Spa Water Kit. Packaged along with a two 2-liter bottles of the weekly AquaFinesse treatment are a special mix of Dead Sea salts and minerals that the company has refined for use in hot tubs.
The Dead Sea thermal salt springs has a unique salt and mineral content, which people have been using for centuries to treat a variety of skin ailments. In hot tub water these salts will make the bathers skin soft and hydrated.
“The Dead Sea minerals have so many pampering benefits so it seems natural to combine it with a relaxing spa experience,” de Rijk says. “AquaFinesse makes it possible to experience the Dead Sea minerals in your own spa at home.”
For a limited time, the Dead Sea Minerals Spa Water Kit will include a free sample of AquaFinesse After-Spa Lotion with Dead Sea Minerals.
Because of its ability to loosen biofilm, the technology in AquaFinesse can be used in a host of other industries. Currently, the company has products used industrially as well as in the medical field.
“People don’t realize that biofilm is the core issue of all issues related to water, whether it’s corrosion, scaling, clarity or the health of the water,” Snodgrass says. “It’s all about biofilm.”
Despite moving into these bigger industries, AquaFinesse is still committed to its hot tub and swimming pool roots.
“We made the maintenance so easy to do,” de Rijk says. “If you have clear water, it smells nice and you have a good bather experience, the product is a success.”