For areas where disinfectants are regularly used, such as in food service industries or hospitals, proper disinfectant choice is imperative. How disinfectants are used is also important. Below are some helpful tips to using disinfectants.

1. Understand product instructions and application process. Some disinfectants are incompatible with certain surfaces. Check the disinfectant’s label as the manufacture should have listed surface compatibility. The application process of the disinfectant is also important. For example, a cotton or a microfiber cleaning tool can reduce the efficacy of a quaternary disinfectant because quat binding can occur. Check out the What Is Quat Binding in Disinfectants blog for more information about quat binding.

2. Ensure enough disinfectant contact time. Contact time means that the disinfectant should remain wet for at least as long as the specification on the label. This is to ensure that the claimed pathogens are killed and that the surface is adequately disinfected. Example disinfectants include 64 Millennium Q, which has a contact time of 10 minutes at 2 oz/gal, Century Q Wipes, which have a contact time of 4 minutes, and Microcide TB, which has a contact time as low as 30 seconds. Concentrates typically have a contact time of 10 minutes while RTU products can be quicker. Avoid disinfectants with alcohol because they can cause the product to evaporate quicker than the EPA contact time and reapplication may be required.

3. Product safety and training. Some disinfectants require the use of personal protection equipment (PPE). There are disinfectants that are not irritating to the skin, eyes or respiratory tract, as this may defer the use of the product. It is also important to have a cleaning program that defines specific cleaning roles and responsibilities. Train staff members on using specific cleaning products for specific areas and tasks and be sure they understand why they would use that particular product.

For a listing of Multi-Clean liquid disinfectants or disinfecting wipes, please visit Multi-Clean’s Disinfectant webpage.