What Cleaning Products Kill Viruses on Surfaces?
With the rise of Coronavirus this year, now more than ever people are looking for the best way to kill viruses in their homes. From all-purpose cleaners to dish soap, most household cleaners contain surfactants that bind to oil, germs, and dirt particles, suspending them in water so they can be washed away. However, for cleaning thoroughly to ensure that no lingering viruses are left on surfaces in your home, you’ll need a disinfectant to kill off the rest of the germs. Today we’re going to talk about what cleaning products kill viruses by diving deeper into their ingredients. Here is what to look for when buying cleaning products with the aim of killing off pesky viruses.
What ingredients to look for
Alcohol, bleach, hydrogen peroxide, and quaternary ammonium compounds are effective disinfectants for viruses. These chemicals are the most common ingredients on the list of EPA registered coronavirus cleaning products.
You should look for an EPA registration number on the label when purchasing a disinfectant. These are typically found on the product label’s front or backside. These numbers are assigned by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to goods that have been checked and proven to destroy germs.
While disinfectants are great at killing viruses, they will not do their job properly if they are used on dirty surfaces because dirt and oil will consume the disinfectant and protect the germs, so let’s look at products you should be used to help kill off viruses in your home. You will need to thoroughly clean your surfaces first with lathered soap and hot water. Soap needs to be rubbed and worked into a lather for it to be effective. After that, you can use disinfectant, and here is what you should be looking for.
Hydrogen Peroxide is not as strong as bleach but does have disinfectant properties that effectively kill viruses and bacteria. Studies found that hydrogen peroxide was more effective in killing some forms of bacteria than quaternary ammonium compounds. The typical 3% hydrogen peroxide concentration found in stores can be used as a disinfectant.
Isopropanol or Ethanol (Alcohol) are extremely effective disinfectants when used at a high enough concentration. Many alcohol-containing cleaning products have at least a 70 percent solution and to be effective, hand sanitizers should contain at least 60 percent alcohol. Over time, they will be less effective since the alcohol will evaporate.
Sodium Hypochlorite (Bleach). Sodium hypochlorite, which can destroy viruses, bacteria, and fungi, is the active ingredient in bleach. Bleach can be used on regularly touched surfaces like door handles and worktops, but in order to efficiently destroy bacteria, it must air dry for at least 10 minutes before wiping. Remember to always wear gloves when using bleach as it can irritate the skin.
Quaternary Ammonium Compounds are commonly used as surface disinfectants and can be found in many household cleaners including disinfectant wipes and sprays. Studies show quaternary ammonium compounds to successfully kill most bacteria, viruses, and fungi.
Look for these ingredients when buying cleaning products and you’ll be able to effectively kill viruses in your home. Remember to follow the instructions on the packaging to ensure you’re killing the virus once and for all.
If you would like the professionals to help, you may want to think about professional house cleaning as an option.
