Which cleaning products are best to fight COVID-19?
We’re wiping down surfaces more than ever to get rid of the coronavirus, but which cleaning products are actually the best to get the job done?
Dr. Eric Beckman, Bevier Professor of Engineering at the University of Pittsburgh says that there are three different kinds of disinfectant cleaners you can buy. First, there’s bleach.
“You have chlorine which is really aggressive. The way bleaches work is, they are like big scissors, they literally chop up molecules and we know living things are made from molecules,” Dr. Beckman said.
Secondly, there are quaternary ammonium compounds, or “quats,” which are disinfectant chemicals commonly found in disinfectant wipes, sprays, and other household cleaners.
“When you see someone referring to deep cleaning of a facility, they use these kinds of compounds,” Dr. Beckman said. “They kill bacteria, they kill living things and they work by worming their way into the cell membranes of bacteria or into the membranes of viruses and they just blow them up.”
And finally, the more eco-friendly cleaners like good old vinegar.
“It’s an acid, but it’s a mild acid, and a lot of bacteria and viruses are sensitive to acidic conditions and so vinegar will work,” Dr. Beckman said.
However, Beckman does warn that the eco-friendly cleaners may not do the job when it comes to COVID-19.
“Things that make the pH lower, that make it more acidic, we just don’t know how acid-resistant the coronavirus is,” he said.
Dr. Beckman says that if you are going to use chlorine bleach, make sure you use it in a well-ventilated area and do not mix it with ammonia.