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HOW TO DISINFECT
“Disinfecting refers to using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.” – CDC
Disinfection Key points
- KEY POINT – These products MUST BE ALLOWED TO SET for 1 Minute minimum. Hospitals require 10 minutes.
- Apply-and-wipe is not effective – it must set for a period of time to enable the product the time it needs to incapacitate the target virus or bacteria.
- A disinfectant must work its way through the SKIN of the virus. This can take time, as such one needs to RESPECT the residence time recommendations, else you are wasting your time.
- CLEAN-DISINFECT-CLEAN – is the recommendation from MARBLELIFE. The first pass is designed to remove MASS such as dried mucus, the second to disinfect the surface, and the third step and second cleaning is to remove any residual disinfectant.
- MARBLELIFE Cleaners are formulated expressly to assist in removing all contaminants from the surface – quickly – without harm to surface or people.
Some Quick Facts on Disinfection
- Hospitals require 10 min residence time as part of their secondary infection regimen when going after some of the more resistant nasties
- Generally, a 1 min residence time is being touted when dealing with the corona family including the common cold, the flu and COVID-19.
- Humans tendency to
- rush – a quick spray-and-wipe is INSUFFICIENT and tantamounts to little difference than wiping with water. There must be at least 1 minute of residence time.
- miss areas – such as the underside of a table - can be a key factor in failure to manage infectious material.
- Doctor’s ties have been removed or are tucked in so they do not roll under a table edge and potentially pick up a virus left when someone hands held the table edge.
- You need at least 1 minute residence time with most disinfection product – don’t rush!
- Robots using UV are now being used to address these type issues as they can bath a room in UV-C in a more routine and methodical manner. Electrostatic fogging are also being used in highly public venues such as hospitals.
- Key point – disinfectants are NOT cleaners but killers – and they require a residence time to achieve maximum effectiveness. Killing 990 in a 1000 is insufficient when it takes 1 viris to infect. Be patient.
Here are a couple of easy to understand examples that may help when training or explaining DISINFECTION TIME NEEDS to family or staff in terms and experiences they may be more familiar with.
EXAMPLE 1: FINGER TESTING A HOT PLATE
You have probably seen someone lick their finger and tap a stove hot plate to see if it is still on or hot. While not recommended, generally this can be done quickly and one can feel the heat.
Now hold your finger down on the surface for a second and you may blister, but you have not broken the skin. Hold it longer and the blister may rupture as one now begins to burn skin.
You benefited from the same type defense the virus has – the skin that surrounds and holds it together.
EXAMPLE 2: The Candle and Bag of Water – Why Spray-and-Wipe fails
Lets model our virus with a plastic bag full of water. The bag is the outer skin of the virus.
Now lets apply a single candle. We know the candle can melt the plastic exterior, however if we gently pass our virus-bag-of-water over the candle nothing happens. One pass, two passes, three passes. Nothing.
Now if we hold the bag over the handle in a few seconds we melt the bag and release the water.
In similar fashion a disinfectant requires residence time in contact with the candle.
Don’t rush disinfection – else – you could get infected.
The good news with corona virus like COVID19 once can remove effectively through cleaning, and if one cleans ones hands after cleaning you can defeat it again. Avoid touching once face from point of starting cleaning-and-disinfecting until you have completed task AND washed hands.
EXAMPLE 3: 1000 Fire Ants on Your Counter
Imagine you have 1000 fire ants on your counter. You apply a 99.9% effective ant poison (ant disinfectant) to the surface. 99.9% is an A+ in any school we have attended. In this case, it kills 990 of the 1000 ants. That means 10 remain.
Want to touch the counter?
Only takes one bite to feel pain.
Similarly, only takes 1 virus to get infected. Once infected that virus will inject its DNA into its host cell (for COVID-19 a lung cell) and begins to create a 1000 copies
Want to make a cheese-sandwich on that counter?
The bulk of the ants are dead, but there are still 990 carcuses plus ant poison.
Probably gonna want to wipe down the surface with your cleaner once again, to remove the ants and the ant poison.
That second cleaning allows you to wipe down the surface removing disinfectant, ant carcuses and hopefully the 10 live ants. They are now on your paper towel. You want to toss this into the trash. While it is likely you have moved the ants into contact with the disinfectant, you might have a resistant ant, or not provided enough time, so handle the paper towel with care.
