Cleaning pros should know what the following terms mean when reading the label on a disinfectant.
Hamilton, OH – Most of us now have a “learn-as-we-use” mentality when it comes to using new products. This is an outgrowth of technologies like computers, smartphones, and tablets.
Typically their “operating manual” offers little information beyond how to turn the machine on and off.
But reading labels in professional cleaning is imperative, not only for the user’s health, but to protect the health of people and the planet. And some of the most important labels to read are those on disinfectants.
Kaivac, manufacturers of the No-Touch Cleaning® and OmniFlex™ cleaning systems designed to promote effective, healthy, and hygienic cleaning, suggests that cleaning pros know what the following terms mean when reading the label on a disinfectant:
Limited Efficacy: This term means the disinfectant is effective against specific microorganisms
Broad-Spectrum: Also called “General-Purpose,” it means the disinfectant is effective against a wide range of microorganisms
Hospital or Medical Environment: The disinfectant is effective in eliminating many nosocomial (hospital acquired) pathogens
One-step cleaner: A one-step disinfectant has been tested in the presence of soil, and if effective, means the disinfectant can be used to both clean and disinfect a surface; pre-cleaning may still be needed if the surface is heavily soiled
EPA-Registered: A disinfectant may not make efficacy claims against pathogens unless the Environmental Protection Agency has reviewed and approved data to support them
Other information a user is likely to find on a disinfectant label includes the following:
- Active ingredients
- Inert (inactive) ingredients
- Dilution instructions
- Dwell time
- A precautionary statement
- First aid information
- “Under certain conditions” means the disinfectant may or may not be effective based on bacterial count on a surface; the location of the microorganisms, (e.g. flat surfaces, crevices, or cracks); temperature, humidity, water hardness, etc.
“Historically, one of the problems cleaning pros have had reading product labels is that they can vary as to how the information is presented,” says John Richter, technical director at Kaivac. “But as a result of the global harmonizing initiatives, the format should now be the same making them easier to read and understand.”
About Kaivac, Inc.
Kaivac is the developer of the No-Touch Cleaning® and OmniFlex™ Crossover Cleaning systems. Headquartered in Hamilton, Ohio, Kaivac, Inc. delivers complete science-based cleaning systems designed to produce healthy results and outcomes while raising the value of cleaning operations and the professionalism of the worker. Kaivac offers an integrated portfolio of environmentally friendly cleaning products designed to remove the maximum amount of soil and potentially harmful biopollutants in the most cost-effective manner possible.
Company contact information:
Tom Morrison, vice president of marketing
Kaivac, Inc.
401 South Third Street
Hamilton, OH 45011
Phone: 513-868-4227
Email: info@kaivac.com
Media Contact
Contact: Robert Kravitz
Phone: 312-880-8132
E-mail: rkravitz@rcn.com
