Antimicrobial surface degerming compositions and method of use thereof

An antimicrobial surface degerming composition consisting essentially of from about 0.01% to about 10% by weight of a bis[4-(R-amino)-1-pyridinium]alkane salt having the structural formula ##STR6## wherein Y is alkylene having from 4 to 18 carbon atoms and separating the two 4-(R-amino)-1-pyridinium groups by from 4 to 18 carbon atoms;

• R is the same in both occurrences and is alkyl having from 6 to 18 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl having from 5 to 7 carbon atoms, benzyl or phenyl substituted by methylenedioxy or one or two substituents selected from the group consisting of halo, lower-alkyl, lower-alkoxy, nitro, cyano and trifluoromethyl;
• R.sub.1 is the same in both occurrences and is hydrogen or lower-alkyl;
• A.sup.x- is a pharmaceutically acceptable anion;
• and x is the valence of the anion;
• (B) from about 0.1% to about 50% by weight of one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of
• (a) a higher-alkylaminoalkanoic acid having the structural formula
• RR'N--(CH.sub.2).sub.n --COOH Formula III
• wherein R is alkyl or alkenyl having from 8 to 18 carbon atoms, R' is hydrogen or (CH.sub.2).sub.n --COOH and n is an integer from 1 to 5 or an alkali metal salt thereof;
• (b) a quaternary nitrogen-containing cellulose ether having the structural formula ##STR7## wherein R.sub.cell is the residue of an anhydroglucose unit (C.sub.6 H.sub.10 O.sub.5), x represents the degree of polymerization and is an integer from about 50 to about 20,000 and preferably from about 200 to about 5,000, the R's are the same or different and R has the structural formula ##STR8## wherein y is an integer from 0 to 10, z is an integer from 0 to 3 and X.sup.- is a pharmaceutically acceptable anion;
• and
• (C) an aqueous vehicle.