Virus Prevention

WAXIE Brand Disinfectants and Usage Guidelines

When using a disinfectant, it is critical to make sure that the proper products have been selected for your building surfaces and anticipated soils, and that your custodial crew has been properly trained on the use of the chemicals, tools and equipment provided. Some helpful tips to consider include:

1. Clean the surface first

Disinfectants primary purpose is to kill microorganisms, and as such they are typically not as good at cleaning surfaces as a general purpose cleaning chemical. While there are some one-step cleaner/disinfectants available, it is necessary to use a general purpose or bioactive cleaner or degreaser to pre-clean heavily soiled areas – and it is helpful to note that using microfiber cleaning cloths and mops also assist to increase the efficacy of the cleaning chemical in removing soils on building surfaces. Cleaning equipment such as the WAXIE VERSA High Performance No-Touch Cleaning Caddies are also extremely effective at removing soils from building surfaces prior to disinfecting.

2. Select the appropriate disinfectant

There are a plethora of disinfectants on the market in a variety of different packages, and it is important to note the listed kill claims on your selected disinfectant so that you can be sure that the product will be effective for the specific circumstances and pathogens in your building. Also take note of compatibility of the disinfectant with your building surfaces – some products are not intended for use on certain surfaces and may either damage surfaces or have decreased efficacy. For emerging viral pathogens the EPA will release disinfectant recommendations on its website, such as List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2.

3. Read the disinfectant label instructions

Once the appropriate disinfectant has been selected, follow the instructions listed on the label to ensure proper usage. If the product is a concentrate, make sure to dilute at the recommended amounts, and apply to surfaces as described, using recommended Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

4. Ensure that the disinfectant has enough surface contact dwell time

Depending on the specific disinfectant and desired pathogen kill, there will be a range of dwell time which will be needed to ensure that the surfaces have been effectively disinfected. Some contact times are as long as 10 minutes (although some are as short as 30 seconds to 1 minute), and it is imperative that the disinfectant solution remain wet and active on the surface for the prescribed amount of time in order to ensure that the targeted pathogens have been successfully eliminated.

5. Train your custodial staff

Disinfectants are designed to kill (they have toxic properties and are listed as pesticides and registered with the EPA), and as such care should be taken when determining the appropriate amount of disinfectant to use, and the appropriate surfaces on which to use it. Focus should be on applying disinfectant to potential high touch surfaces, and staff should be trained on proper dilution, application, recommended Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), surface rinsing, disinfectant chemical disposal and clean up as prescribed on the selected disinfectant label.

WAXIE Brand Disinfectants

PURELL Surface Disinfectants

EvaClean PURTABS and PUR:ONE Tablets

 WAXIE VERSA High Performance Cleaning Caddy

EvaClean Protexus Electrostatic Sprayer

Sources

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, About Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), reviewed February 24, 2020
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, How COVID-19 Spreads, reviewed March 4, 2020
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, Coronavirus (COVID-19), reviewed March 15, 2020
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, Initial Public Health Response and Interim Clinical Guidance for the 2019 Novel Coronavirus Outbreak – United States, December 31, 2019 – February 4, 2020, updated February 7, 2020
5. South China Morning Post website, Wuhan Coronavirus Confirmed In 29 Of China’s 31 Provinces, updated January 24, 2020
6. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, First Travel-Related Case of 2019 Coronavirus Detected In United States, updated January 21, 2020
7. Seattle Times website, Snohomish County Man With Wuhan Coronavirus Had Close Contact With At Least 43 People, Health Officials Say, updated February 26, 2020
8. Johns Hopkins University & Medicine website, Coronavirus COVID-19 Global Cases by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University, updated March 16, 2020
9. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, How To Protect Yourself, reviewed March 14, 2

* Effective against Human Coronavirus, Porcine Respiratory & Reproductive Syndrome Virus (PRRSV), Rotavirus, and SARS associated coronavirus , and included on List N: EPA's Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the Cause of COVID-19

** Effective against Norovirus, Rotavirus, and Rhinovirus Type 37, and included on List N: EPA's Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the Cause of COVID-19

*** Effective against Human Coronavirus, Rotavirus, and Rhinovirus Type 37, and included on List N: EPA's Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the Cause of COVID-19

**** Effective against Human Coronavirus, Rotavirus, and Rhinovirus, and included on List N: EPA's Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the Cause of COVID-19

***** Effective against Coronavirus, and included on List N: EPA's Registered Antimicrobial Products for Use Against Novel Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, the Cause of COVID-19