Decoding the Bottle: Surface Disinfectant

04/08/21 By Dana Szymkowiak

As disinfecting becomes a front-line defense keeping us safe from COVID-19 and other viruses, choosing the right disinfectant products should be a carefully made decision. The only way to know if a product is safe, effective, and right for your facility is to read the labels.


Labels tell you how to safely and effectively use a product, store the product safely, what pathogens the disinfectant kills, and the correct contact time. 

Disinfectant labels are full of information and not always easy to read. The Safetec team is here to help you learn how to read your bottle of surface disinfectant.

Look for EPA Registration

In the U.S., all surface disinfectants must be registered with the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the federal government agency responsible for products containing ingredients with the potential to cause harm to the environment

Look on the bottle or canister for an EPA registration number. To be approved by the EPA and receive an EPA number, a company must prove that their disinfectant is safe and effective. Safetec’s disinfectants have this number on the bottom of the front label.

Look for Signal Words

Labels contain signal words- Caution, Warning, Danger- that indicate a product’s potential for making you sick.

“Caution” appears on products that are the least harmful to you. “Warning” means a product is more harmful than one with a “caution” label and “Danger” means a product is poisonous or corrosive and should be used with extreme care.

Look for “Disinfectant”

The label should have the word “disinfectant” on it. While people often think “Cleaner” or “Sanitizer” means the same thing, those designations do not kill as many germs as a disinfectant.

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Look for “Broad-Spectrum Efficacy Claims”

When evaluating microorganism efficacy claims, review your facility’s infection prevention risk assessment to ensure proper selection of a product with relevant pathogenic efficacy claims. If you are looking for a disinfectant for various purposes, a broad-spectrum disinfectant is the best option. Broad-spectrum disinfectants are effective against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria leading to a wider range of disinfection claims.

Look for Kill Claims

Every label for an EPA registered disinfectant should list the pathogens it kills and how long the disinfectant must stay wet on the surface to kill those pathogens (kill time). Ensure the disinfectant you have is effective against the pathogens you are concerned with, such as Influenza, norovirus, HIV, E. coli, etc.

Made in America, for America

As a global leader in infection prevention solutions and expertise, Safetec of America is committed to providing high-quality products to our customers. 

Safetec’s SaniZide Pro 1® Surface Disinfectant Spray & Wipes is a broad spectrum, EPA Registered surface disinfectant that combines cleaning and disinfecting in one simple step with its ready-to-use, alcohol-based hospital-grade formula. With true one minute kill claims for 48 microorganisms, SaniZide Pro 1 is safe and effective for any facility.

Safetec also offers an alcohol-free option, SaniZide Plus® Surface Disinfectant Spray is a non-corrosive, EPA registered, quaternary ammonium compound effective against MRSA, VRE, Tuberculosis, Influenza, Poliovirus, Norovirus and SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. SaniZide Plus® Germicidal Wipes are pre-saturated hard surface wipes that kill viruses such as MRSA, TB, VRE, and E. Coli in 10 minutes and HIV-1 in 2 minutes. According to the emerging viral pathogen claim, they are also effective against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Our dual quat, alcohol-free formula is non-flammable and non-corrosive on surfaces.

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