Can disinfecting wipes be reused?
Can disinfecting wipes be reused?
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Disinfectant wipes should never be reused. Reusing wipes will move germs from one surface to another, which is potentially harmful in the current pandemic. In order for any surface to be properly disinfected, the U.S. CDC recommends following the instructions on each product carefully and leaving the disinfectant on the surface for 3-5 minutes. This means the surface needs to be wet for this period of time, and you may need to use more than one disinfectant wipe depending on the size of the surface. However, you should never reuse the same disinfectant wipe.
Disinfectant wipes should never be reused. Reusing wipes will move germs from one surface to another, which is potentially harmful in the current pandemic. In order for any surface to be properly disinfected, the U.S. CDC recommends following the instructions on each product carefully and leaving the disinfectant on the surface for 3-5 minutes. This means the surface needs to be wet for this period of time, and you may need to use more than one disinfectant wipe depending on the size of the surface. However, you should never reuse the same disinfectant wipe.
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What our experts say
Disinfectant wipes should never be reused. Reusing wipes will move germs from one surface to another, which is potentially harmful in the current pandemic. In order for any surface to be properly disinfected, the U.S. CDC recommends following the instructions on each product carefully and leaving the disinfectant on the surface for 3-5 minutes. This means the surface needs to be wet for this period of time, and you may need to use more than one disinfectant wipe depending on the size of the surface. However, you should never reuse the same disinfectant wipe.
Disinfectant wipes should never be reused. Reusing wipes will move germs from one surface to another, which is potentially harmful in the current pandemic. In order for any surface to be properly disinfected, the U.S. CDC recommends following the instructions on each product carefully and leaving the disinfectant on the surface for 3-5 minutes. This means the surface needs to be wet for this period of time, and you may need to use more than one disinfectant wipe depending on the size of the surface. However, you should never reuse the same disinfectant wipe.
Context and background
Current evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. Therefore, cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in households and community settings. In this context, disinfecting can be used to disinfect frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks, and electronics). Disinfecting wipes are usually are wet wipes commercially available and containing chemicals, for example, EPA-registered disinfectants, or alcohol-based wipes (minimum 70% of alcohol) to kill germs on surfaces. However, transmission of COVID-19 occurs much more commonly through respiratory droplets than through touching objects and surfaces, like doorknobs, countertops, keyboards, toys, etc.
Current evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. Therefore, cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for prevention of COVID-19 and other viral respiratory illnesses in households and community settings. In this context, disinfecting can be used to disinfect frequently touched surfaces (for example: tables, doorknobs, light switches, handles, desks, toilets, faucets, sinks, and electronics). Disinfecting wipes are usually are wet wipes commercially available and containing chemicals, for example, EPA-registered disinfectants, or alcohol-based wipes (minimum 70% of alcohol) to kill germs on surfaces. However, transmission of COVID-19 occurs much more commonly through respiratory droplets than through touching objects and surfaces, like doorknobs, countertops, keyboards, toys, etc.
