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HOW TO DISINFECT WITH BLEACH & OTHER PRODUCTS

HOW TO DISINFECT WITH BLEACH & OTHER PRODUCTS

Much like all of you, we at Microfiber Wholesale are watching and waiting as the COVID-19 situation continues to develop in our communities. We wanted to take this opportunity to share some information that we’ve culled from sources like the WHO, CDC and EPA as well as trusted brands like Clorox and Lysol on how to kill a virus and disinfect your homes and workplaces with products you most likely already have. This will help slow the spread of the virus by preventing unnecessary trips to the store for supplies and contact with others.

As noted by the CDC, cleaning and disinfecting are two different things. Cleaning is the removal of dirt, debris and bacteria from surfaces. Microfiber does this well with just water as the dirt clings to the fabric but using a cotton cloth with water and a bit of detergent is acceptable as well. Disinfecting uses a chemical agent to kill germs or bacteria. Both the WHO and CDC recommend using chlorine bleach as a disinfecting agent. It is recommended that surfaces be cleaned prior to disinfecting.

ALLOW PROPER DWELL TIME

One of the keys to disinfecting, and one that is so often overlooked, is dwell or contact time. According to Becker Hospital Review, the best way to ensure that your disinfectant is effective is to make sure that the surface remains visibly wet for the full recommended contact time. EPA approved disinfecting agents will have the recommended contact time listed on their labels. Clorox recommends a 5 minute contact time for their regular bleach. This means that once the surface has been cleaned, in order to disinfect, the bleach solution (half a cup of bleach for every gallon of water) would need to remain wet for five minutes before being wiped away and air dried. Lysol’s products have similar recommendations. It is not effective to simply take a wipe and run it across your door knobs and light switches.

NATURAL OR CHEMICAL PRODUCTS?

Aside from bleach, the CDC also mentions an alcohol solution of at least 70% alcohol. Household disinfectants are also effective, as long as the label instructions are followed. While vinegar is a natural alternative that can be used as a disinfectant, it is not as effective as common chemical disinfectants such as bleach, alcohol or household disinfectants from trusted brands.

TO KILL VIRUSES ON SURFACES

For hard flat surfaces, like floors, countertops and tables, soak your mop or cloth in the disinfectant solution and wring it out slightly, just so it’s not dripping. Apply the solution and leave it on for five minutes and then rinse with clean water and let it air dry. For more challenging surfaces, like door knobs, cabinet, appliance or drawer handles, spray on the solution or simply wrap your treated towel around the surface to let the chemical do its job. Use a clean cloth for each surface area and do not put a soiled cloth back in your solution.

RECOMMENDED MICROFIBER FOR DISINFECTING

Microfiber alone will not disinfect a surface. As noted above disinfecting involves the killing of the pathogens. That doesn’t mean microfiber can’t assist in the disinfecting process. In fact in an article by Infection Control Today ” microfiber was both laboratory and clinically tested and proven to remove up to 98 percent of bacteria and 93 percent of viruses from a surface using only water (no chemicals). ” So when paired with a disinfectant product, microfiber can be a great weapon against viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens.

If you are looking for microfiber to help in the disinfecting process, check out our Disinfecting Category of our website! There you'll find both disposable and reusable microfiber products that we recommend for disinfecting.

Our personal favorite is our MWipes™ Reusable Microfiber Wipes. That’s because they are more absorbent than other disposable options, while still be cost-effective enough to throw away after one-time use. They are machine washable as well, so depending on what you used them for this can be a great option.

It is important during this pandemic that we remain calm and take what precautions to stay well that we can. Making sure that your home and office environments stay cleaned and sanitized is something effective that we can all participate in. We’re all in this together.

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