The EPA has expanded its list of approved cleaning agents to combat COVID-19.
The main (active) ingredient(s) are listed below. There are 4 main categories of agents:
Hydrogen Peroxide
Bleach (Hypochlorite)
Ammonia (Quaternary)
Alcohol (Ethanol or Isopropyl)
It is important to keep in mind that mixing these, especially bleach, should be avoided, as it can be harmful or even fatal.
Most alcohol based cleaners and hand sanitizers run in the 80 to 90 percent alcohol range. If supplies are limited, they can be diluted down to 60 percent, which is the current minimum recommendation. Adding water to it will not only increase your quantity, but it will also slow down the evaporation process, allowing more contact time to kill the biological agent.
Bleach requires a substantial amount of contact time to kill a biological agent, and some studies show that it may take 20 to 30 minutes to render a biological agent inert, so spraying it on a surface and immediately wiping it off may not be effective.
If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Greg Brooks, Director of Safety & Compliance, at gregbrooks@thinkmita.org.
Click here for the List of EPA Approved Cleaning Agents.
