Using sanitizing products at home

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Using sanitizing products at home


What are the various types of sanitizing products? How do you use them safely? Check the label and use this table to better clean and sanitize your home.
 

Material

Trade Name

Rate/Usage

Caution

Contact Time

Soaps

Various

According to label, mix well.

Safe

Scrubbing

Alcohol, ethanol, isopropyl

 

Various

Sold as ready to use (RTU) in 70-95% solutions

Flammable, evaporates quickly, may need to re-apply

10 min for pots, surfaces. Tools dip for 15 sec

Phenolics

 

Disinfectants such as Lysol, containing O-benzyl-p-chlorophenol

According to label, mix well 

 

Eye/skin irritant, wear gloves and eye protection

10 min for pots, surfaces. Tools dip 15 sec

Peroxides, peroxyacetic acid and hydrogen dioxide

 

Zerotol, Oxidate, Sanidate

According to label, mix well 

 

Corrosive, eye/skin irritant. Store in cool location

1 to 10 min for surfaces

Quaternary Ammonium

 

Greenshield, Virex, Physan, Triathlon, KleenGrow

According to label, mix well 

 

Low odor, low irritation. Prepare fresh solution before use

10 min for non-porous surfaces. Must remain wet

Sodium hypochlorite, calcium hypochlorite

 

Clorox, Commercial Bleach (most are 8.25%)

If working with 5.25% stock, dilute 1:9 for 10% working soln. If 8.25% stock, dilute 1:14

Corrosive, eye/skin irritant. Inactivated by light. Prepare fresh and store in opaque container

 

10-15 min for pots, surfaces. Tools dip 15 sec, wipe dry

Copper quinolinolate;

 

Oxine copper

 

According to label, mix well 

 

Good on porous surfaces, wood

10 min, allow to dry

Trisodium phosphate

 

TSP

According to label, mix well 

 

Corrosive

 

5 min on surfaces and pots, may leave residue

 

 

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Adapted by Nancy Gregory from K. Ivors and M. Munster, Dept. of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University. Reference to trade names is for information only and not an endorsement. It is the policy of the Delaware Cooperative Extension System that no person shall be subjected to discrimination on the grounds of race, color, sex, disability, age, or national origin.