Disinfecting wipes: what not to use them on, and how to use them right

A disinfecting wipe is a cleaner, a disinfectant and a cloth in one pull, which is why there is one on every desk. It is also the product most often used on the wrong thing. The short list of rules.

Wipes for surfaces, wipes for hands

The canister on the desk and the canister in the diaper bag look alike and are not. Surface disinfecting wipes carry a disinfectant meant for counters, carts and keyboards; the label will tell you to wash hands after use. Hand sanitizing wipes carry an alcohol formula and skin conditioners and are made for palms and fingers. PURELL makes both, and the Clean & Go wipes are the only ones labeled for skin and surfaces together.

What not to use surface wipes on

• Skin, faces and hands; use a hand sanitizing wipe.

• Food itself, dishes and utensils you will not rinse; use the Foodservice sanitizer and let it dry.

• Unfinished wood, leather and fabrics with bleach-based wipes; the PURELL formula is bleach free and labeled for soft surfaces.

• Screens with an anti-glare coating, unless the device maker allows alcohol; wipe the case, not the glass.

• A whole room with one wipe. Once the cloth is dry it is spreading, not disinfecting.

How to use them right

• Clean visibly dirty surfaces first; a disinfectant cannot reach under grease.

• Wipe the surface until visibly wet and leave it wet for the contact time, 30 seconds to 2 minutes for PURELL surface wipes.

• Use a fresh wipe for each surface, and more than one for a large table.

• Let the surface air dry; do not wipe it dry, and rinse food-contact surfaces only if the label says so (the PURELL formula needs no rinse).

• Close the canister. A dry stack is a stack of cloths.

Choosing the canister

PURELL Professional surface disinfecting wipes are the office, school and retail standard: 110-count canisters and 72-count flowpacks, tested to kill 99.9% of bacteria and viruses including cold and flu viruses and COVID-19 on hard, nonporous surfaces in 30 seconds, bleach-free, no harsh chemicals, no scent. Healthcare wipes carry the hospital claim list for clinics and waiting rooms. Foodservice wipes sanitize prep tables and dining tables with no rinse. For a lobby or a gym, the 1,200-count multi-purpose refill drops into the wipes wall dispenser.

Everyday spots they are made for

The treated surface list reads like a day: kitchen countertops, the fridge handle, light switches, remote controls, the car's door handles and gear shift, the gym bench, the desk, the classroom table, the pet's feeding area where dander and particles collect. Wipe the spot until wet, let it remain wet for the contact time, and let it dry. The wipes are safe to use around people and pets when used as directed, and effective on hard, nonporous surfaces of every kind; on soft surfaces they sanitize. Find the canister that fits the room and keep enough wipes on hand that nobody rations them.