{"id":30071,"date":"2020-03-25T10:00:11","date_gmt":"2020-03-25T16:00:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/?p=30071"},"modified":"2024-07-18T13:51:43","modified_gmt":"2024-07-18T19:51:43","slug":"ins-and-outs-of-disinfecting-coronavirus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/ins-and-outs-of-disinfecting-coronavirus\/","title":{"rendered":"The ins and outs of disinfecting coronavirus"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"margin-top: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px;\" class=\"sharethis-inline-share-buttons\" ><\/div><p>Let\u2019s be honest: we know dirt, grime, and dust when we see it around the household, but if we don\u2019t see it, we generally assume the surface is \u201cclean.\u201d Coronavirus, though, can survive for perhaps three days on plastic and metal, according to a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nejm.org\/doi\/full\/10.1056\/NEJMc2004973\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">recent study<\/a> (and 24 hours on cardboard). The eyes can deceive: just because a door handle gleams doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s not covered with virus.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_30083\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30083\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-30083\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20075809\/Getty-ethnic-disinfecting-cleaning-kitchen.webp\" alt=\"woman disinfecting coronavirus by wiping down countertops in the kitchen.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20075809\/Getty-ethnic-disinfecting-cleaning-kitchen.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20075809\/Getty-ethnic-disinfecting-cleaning-kitchen-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20075809\/Getty-ethnic-disinfecting-cleaning-kitchen-768x513.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20075809\/Getty-ethnic-disinfecting-cleaning-kitchen-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20075809\/Getty-ethnic-disinfecting-cleaning-kitchen-200x134.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-30083\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">With any of the effective products you use for disinfecting coronavirus, it\u2019s important to read the fine print on the container. In particular, how long does it take to kill viruses? Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>We\u2019re typically better at cleaning than disinfecting. That must change. Here\u2019s a quick primer on household disinfection, with the caveat that the below assumes that no one in the household has been diagnosed with or is suspected to have COVID-19, the disease this particular coronavirus\u00a0causes. Such households should follow the more stringent U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/hygiene\/about\/when-and-how-to-clean-and-disinfect-a-facility.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">guidelines<\/a> closely.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>General\u00a0disinfectants<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>First, coronavirus is what virologists call an enveloped virus \u2013 the \u201cenvelope\u201d being the fatty sphere in which it harbors its human-cell-corrupting RNA. To kill the virus, tear open the envelope. Plain soap does the trick for disinfecting coronavirus, but that demands sufficient physical agitation\u2013 hence the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=3PmVJQUCm4E&amp;t=2s\">20-second hand wash<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>That works in the household, too, as do other household cleaning products (hat tip to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.consumerreports.org\/cleaning\/common-household-products-that-can-destroy-novel-coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Consumer Reports<\/a>):<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Soap and water can clean household surfaces \u2013 as long as you really scrub. Think about mashing coronavirus to oblivion \u2013 which it richly deserves \u2013 as you do.<\/li>\n<li>A simple mix of bleach and cold water also works for disinfecting coronavirus: four teaspoons of bleach per quart of water \u2013 or, for larger loads, five tablespoons (1\/3<sup>rd<\/sup> cup) per gallon. With standard Clorox or similar, a five-minute period exposed to those mixtures should kill coronavirus, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Given bleach\u2019s harshness on stainless steel and countertops, wipe surfaces down with water after those five minutes. A plastic toy or metal item can be immersed in bleach for 30 seconds to disinfect. Two important caveats: 1) wear gloves, and 2) don\u2019t mix bleach with ammonia as the combination is toxic. Bleach solution should be used within 24 hours as it loses effectiveness with time.<\/li>\n<li>A straight 3% hydrogen peroxide solution takes out rhinovirus \u2013 which is tougher to kill than coronavirus \u2013 in six to eight minutes, and so should be at least as quick in disinfecting coronavirus.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Note that you should clean visibly dirty surfaces with soap and water before disinfecting. Also note that vodka, vinegar, tea tree oil, and other natural products were not given bullets in the above list. Studies have not found compelling evidence that they\u2019re effective.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Specialized disinfectants<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>There are many specialized disinfectants \u2013 274 of them populate the EPA\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.epa.gov\/pesticide-registration\/list-n-disinfectants-use-against-sars-cov-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">list of products<\/a> capable of killing coronavirus.<\/p>\n<p>That list is not exhaustive. Among other examples, Member\u2019s Mark (Sam\u2019s Club) and Kirkland (Costco) disinfecting wipes aren\u2019t on it, but should be comparable to their name-brand counterparts. On the other hand, the EPA list is bereft of baby wipes, which are not effective disinfectants, especially in disinfecting coronavirus<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_30080\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30080\" style=\"width: 450px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30080\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20074058\/Getty-disinfecting-cleaning-sink.webp\" alt=\"person wipes bathroom faucet when disinfecting coronavirus.\" width=\"450\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20074058\/Getty-disinfecting-cleaning-sink.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20074058\/Getty-disinfecting-cleaning-sink-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20074058\/Getty-disinfecting-cleaning-sink-768x513.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20074058\/Getty-disinfecting-cleaning-sink-150x100.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20074058\/Getty-disinfecting-cleaning-sink-200x134.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-30080\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">We are typically better at cleaning than disinfecting, but the coronavirus needs a little elbow grease to kill. Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>With any of the effective products, it\u2019s important to read the fine print on the container. In particular, how long does it take to kill viruses? In the case of Kirkland disinfecting wipes, the package says the wipes disinfect for viruses including coronaviruses in three minutes \u2013 that\u2019s as compared to killing \u201c99.9% of bacteria in 15 seconds.\u201d In other words, viruses take 12 times longer to kill. So give it time.<\/p>\n<p>With these and other products, take a look at the labels to understand both proper usage and time of effectiveness. Those three minutes comprise a span known as \u201ccontact time\u201d \u2013 that is, the amount of time the surface should remain wet with cleaner for the advertised effectiveness to be expected. For most wipes, recommended contact time is between two minutes and five minutes. For dilutable or ready-to-use formulations, it\u2019s more typically three minutes to 10 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>The key here is that you need a good deal of disinfectant, particularly with a wipe, to ensure that it sticks around for five minutes of virus-killing. As with soap, proper disinfecting also involves elbow grease \u2013 you want to rub the stuff in, pick up much of the virus, and assume the remnant disinfectant will terminate the rest.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Target selection for disinfecting coronavirus<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Now, where should you focus those products in your household?<\/p>\n<p>Per the CDC:<\/p>\n<p><em>Community members can practice routine cleaning of frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks) with household cleaners and EPA-registered disinfectants that are appropriate for the surface, following label instructions. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>In other words, disinfect things people most frequently have their paws on, so add TV remotes, tablet computers, computer keyboards and mice, and cell phones to that list. How often you disinfect depends on how often a chance for coronavirus transmission presents itself. Why not once a day?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_30081\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-30081\" style=\"width: 800px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-30081 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20074101\/Getty-male-disinfecting-cleaning-car.webp\" alt=\"man disinfecting coronavirus in his car\" width=\"800\" height=\"488\" srcset=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20074101\/Getty-male-disinfecting-cleaning-car.webp 800w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20074101\/Getty-male-disinfecting-cleaning-car-300x183.webp 300w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20074101\/Getty-male-disinfecting-cleaning-car-768x468.webp 768w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20074101\/Getty-male-disinfecting-cleaning-car-150x92.webp 150w, https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20074101\/Getty-male-disinfecting-cleaning-car-200x122.webp 200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-30081\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Disinfecting coronavirus shouldn&#8217;t just happen in your home. Don&#8217;t forget the surfaces you touch in your car. Photo: Getty Images.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>More vigilance is required, though, if you\u2019ve been out shopping for food, medicine, or whatever else. In that case, you\u2019ll want to retrace your steps from the moment of interaction with outside surfaces to the moment you washed your hands immediately upon return to the house \u2013 which we should all be doing.<\/p>\n<p>For example, let\u2019s say you used the touchscreen at the supermarket\u2019s self-checkout. You then got in the car and drove home. Now imagine having left purple finger- and handprints on anything you touched. You might find purple on your keys, the car door handle, the seatbelt plastic\/metal and latch, the steering wheel, the shifter, the turn signal, the climate buttons, the touch screen, and so on. You might find them on the garage remote-control buttons and then the house door handle and the sink knob.<\/p>\n<div class=\"su-callout-box col-xs-6 col-sm-6 right\" style=\"background-color:#dce4e7; color:#2e3b44;\">\n<h4>For all updates and to read more articles about the new coronavirus, please visit <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/covid-19-coronavirus-recent-updates\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\">uchealth.org\/covid19<\/a><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n<p>All of it should be wiped down with cleaner upon return, and with enough liquid left behind to satisfy the product\u2019s contact-time requirements.<\/p>\n<p>It may seem like a leap from wiping down your door handles to life-and-death decisions in intensive care units, but wiping down the house can help break chains of infection and ultimately take pressure off the U.S. health care system as it treats the most serious cases.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s be honest: we know dirt, grime, and dust when we see it around the household, but if we don\u2019t see it, we generally assume the surface is \u201cclean.\u201d Coronavirus, though, can survive for perhaps three days on plastic and metal, according to a recent study (and 24 hours on cardboard). The eyes can deceive: [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":23,"featured_media":30083,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[4859,4860,392,257],"class_list":["post-30071","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-healthy-living","tag-coronavirus","tag-covid-19","tag-infection-prevention","tag-virus-prevention"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.4 (Yoast SEO v27.4) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>The ins and outs of disinfecting coronavirus - UCHealth Today<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Cleaning up coronavirus is about contact time and retracing steps. 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Learn the tips for finding the right products and technique for disinfecting coronavirus.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.uchealth.org\/today\/ins-and-outs-of-disinfecting-coronavirus\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"UCHealth Today\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/uchealthorg\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-03-25T16:00:11+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2024-07-18T19:51:43+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2020\/03\/20075809\/Getty-ethnic-disinfecting-cleaning-kitchen.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Todd Neff, for UCHealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@uchealth\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Todd Neff, for UCHealth\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\\\/\\\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/ins-and-outs-of-disinfecting-coronavirus\\\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/ins-and-outs-of-disinfecting-coronavirus\\\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Todd Neff, for UCHealth\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#\\\/schema\\\/person\\\/da7733ff5562e48e55c027d111ee5911\"},\"headline\":\"The ins and outs of disinfecting coronavirus\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-03-25T16:00:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-07-18T19:51:43+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/ins-and-outs-of-disinfecting-coronavirus\\\/\"},\"wordCount\":1162,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/ins-and-outs-of-disinfecting-coronavirus\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/20075809\\\/Getty-ethnic-disinfecting-cleaning-kitchen.webp\",\"keywords\":[\"coronavirus\",\"COVID-19\",\"Infection prevention\",\"Virus prevention\"],\"articleSection\":[\"Healthy living\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/ins-and-outs-of-disinfecting-coronavirus\\\/\",\"url\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/ins-and-outs-of-disinfecting-coronavirus\\\/\",\"name\":\"The ins and outs of disinfecting coronavirus - UCHealth Today\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/ins-and-outs-of-disinfecting-coronavirus\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\\\/\\\/www.uchealth.org\\\/today\\\/ins-and-outs-of-disinfecting-coronavirus\\\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\\\/\\\/uchealth-wp-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\\\/wp-content\\\/uploads\\\/sites\\\/6\\\/2020\\\/03\\\/20075809\\\/Getty-ethnic-disinfecting-cleaning-kitchen.webp\",\"datePublished\":\"2020-03-25T16:00:11+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2024-07-18T19:51:43+00:00\",\"description\":\"Cleaning up coronavirus is about contact time and retracing steps. 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