Using sanitizing products at home
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.