During the coronavirus pandemic, cleaning and disinfecting have become more important than ever. However, not all cleaning agents are proven to kill the virus, and many products that have been proven to kill the coronavirus, such as Clorox disinfecting wipes, have been hard to come by in the past several months.
Now, Pine-Sol Original Multi-Surface Cleaner has been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to kill SARS-Cov-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, on hard non-porous surfaces, giving people another option to disinfect their homes to help protect against the virus.
“We hope that this new Pine-Sol kill claim will increase access to disinfectants that can help prevent the spread of COVID-19,” Chris Hyder, vice president and general manager of the cleaning division at the Clorox Company, which makes Pine-Sol, said in a press release.
To disinfect surfaces with Pine-Sol, apply it full-strength with a clean sponge or cloth. Wet the surface, and then let it stand for 10 minutes before rinsing. If a surface is very dirty, pre-clean it first to remove excess dirt.
Pine-Sol can be used on a variety of surfaces, including countertops, appliances, toilets, counters, tables and more.
It’s important to know the difference between cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting. Cleaning removes dirt, dust and debris. Sanitizing reduces bacteria on a surface, and disinfecting destroys or inactivates bacteria and viruses. Clorox recommends disinfecting surfaces throughout your home three times per day, and even more frequently if someone in your home has COVID-19 or is showing symptoms.
On the Clorox web site, the company offers tips on how to prevent the spread of coronavirus during back-to-school season. They recommend disinfecting high-touch surfaces, including keys, door handles and light switches, as well as avoiding putting school bags on common surfaces and washing lunch containers as soon as kids return home from school.
Not sure whether the cleaning products in your home have been proven to kill the coronavirus? The EPA offers a list of cleaning agents that are approved to use against SARS-CoV-2.
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