SHOULD YOU USE A NEW DISINFECTANT WIPE FOR EVERY SURFACE?
We’ve all heard that disinfecting frequently touched surfaces is important for protecting ourselves from COVID-19. So do you need a fresh disinfectant wipe for each new surface? That’s what many Canadians, including Safina, are wondering.
Dr. Zain Chagla, infectious disease physician and associate professor at McMaster University in Hamilton, says it is fine to use the same wipe on multiple surfaces, as long as you’re doing all the surfaces at once.
“[These] wipes are really impregnated with a lot of disinfectant,” said Chagla. “And the virus doesn’t exist very well on disinfectant and disinfected material.”
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Another infectious disease expert, Dr. Lynora Saxinger, says “contact time” is key when using sanitizing agents. The wipes have to be wet enough to leave disinfectant on the surface.
“I don’t personally switch wipes,” said Saxinger, “and when using a spray, I don’t dry the surface, I just wipe the product across the surface and let it dry.”
Check out Health Canada’s list of disinfectants that are likely to be effective against the coronavirus here.