Selecting the Right Disinfecting Chemical

The pandemic has heightened everyone’s awareness of everyday actions surrounding germ transmission. As a result, the general public has increased expectations of cleanliness in public spaces. Many destinations demonstrate their commitment to health, detailing their mask requirements, social distancing requests, and cleaning procedures.

Although each specific industry is familiar with some level of cleaning and sanitizing surfaces regularly, it’s certainly a higher priority now. Here are a few essential basic terms to consider when selecting a disinfecting product

• Dwell time, or contact time, refers to the amount of time a disinfectant needs to sit wet on a surface before it’s achieved full efficacy.
• An active ingredient is an ingredient in a chosen cleaner that makes it a sanitizer or disinfectant.
• Hard non-porous (HN) is another EPA classification; these chemicals are approved for use on hard, non-porous surfaces like doorknobs, faucets, and sealed wood.
• Food contact, no rinse (FCNR) is a classification used by the EPA; these chemicals are safe to use on food contact surfaces and do not require rinsing after use.
• Food contact, post-rinse required (FCR) is a similar classification, but these chemicals do require a thorough rinse with water after use.

Vital Oxide, a ready-to-use Vital Solutions Product, is EPA-approved (EPA Registration Number: 82972-1) kills 99.9% of SARS-COV-2 on hard, non-porous surfaces in just 5 minutes.

Additionally, Vital Oxide is rated “no rise required on food contact surfaces” category D2, meaning Vital Oxide is approved to use in commercial or residential kitchens to control bacteria, viruses and mold without the need to wash/rinse the area with water after Vital Oxide is applied.

The Vital Oxide mission: "To provide products that quickly eliminate viruses, bacteria, mold and mildew, odors, and allergens from your environment that could be potential health threats without exposing you to any harsh chemicals or harmful residue.

The well-being of people and planet is at the forefront of all that we do. With every bottle of Vital Oxide comes the promise that we are actively working toward environmentally sound cleaning and disinfecting solutions"

There are many options available when it comes to disinfecting. For the restaurant industry, it’s generally best to avoid chemicals that the EPA doesn’t list as food contact safe, especially anything with fragrance.

To find a disinfectant to fight COVID-19 that fits your business, check out List N, a tool compiled and run by the EPA. You can search with multiple criteria, including surface type, contact time and active ingredient.