Disinfectants

What is the difference between a one-step disinfectant/cleaner and a sanitizer?

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There are several important distinctions between one-step disinfectant/cleaners and sanitizers which include:

  • One-step disinfectant/cleaners are tolerant to organic soil (typically blood or body fluid) present on a surface.
  • One-step disinfectant/cleaners typically operate at a much higher level of active ingredient in the product or solution and therefore have the capability to kill microorganisms that sanitizers will not kill. EX.: Simply Easy operates at no more than 200 parts per million (ppm) vs. 4CQ at 847 ppm and Multi-Guard at 2100 ppm of active ingredient.
  • As the name implies, one-step disinfectant/cleaners have cleaning agents in their formulations; sanitizers typically do not. This allows disinfectant/cleaners to not only kill germs but to remove them via cleaning action during use.
  • Because sanitizers do not have cleaning ingredients and operate at lower ppm levels than disinfectants, they are very well suited for sanitizing surfaces and utensils used in foodservice. They will not leave excessive residues which might not be food-safe even though they are effective at killing 99.99% of the germs commonly encountered in foodservice.

How long does the kill time last on Triple Play?

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There is no “length of kill time” given on EPA registered disinfectant labels (like Triple Play) due to the tremendous amount of variables from account to account which can affect how long an area stays disinfected. These include humidity, frequency of cleaning, ventilation, amount of people that may use the area, etc. Usually customers develop a schedule for areas which need recurring cleaning and disinfection that is driven by the appearance, odor, and other factors in that area.

Summary: While EPA labels give you directions for use, they do not include any information on length of kill time due to the variables in different accounts.