With hand sanitizer and other alcohol-based products flying off store shelves, it’s important to know what other products can help keep homes free of the novel coronavirus, the virus which causes the disease COVID-19.

Simple tasks like grocery shopping or a non-avoidable trip to the doctor could expose someone to the virus. Riskier yet, a family member or housemate may have become ill with COVID-19 symptoms.

To help find the right products, the Environmental Protection Agency has released its latest list of disinfectants that meet the agency's criteria for use against the new coronavirus. EPA recommends looking for the EPA registration number on the label, especially when examining products with brand names that differ from what's on their list. Both commercial and consumer products are on the list.

The agency said this week it would also temporarily allow manufacturers of disinfectants on the list to get some active ingredients from any source without agency permission, a step officials said could help make products available more quickly.

SEE THE LIST: Disinfectants that are effective against the new coronavirus

How to know if cleaning product fights coronavirus

Saskia Popescu, a senior infection prevention epidemiologist based in Phoenix, said it's important to check the label for any product, including disinfecting wipes and sprays.

"If you look at the label it should say it's effective against coronaviruses," she said. A product could also have the language "EPA emerging viral pathogen claim" on the label, Popescu said.

Not all the products on the EPA list make that claim, but the agency's website said that products with a registration number on the list may be used, although the list contains a disclaimer against any product endorsements. More disinfectants and disinfectant cleaners are being evaluated and will be added as they meet the criteria.

What makes a cleaning product effective?

Most of the products on the EPA's list are based on sodium hydrochlorite, which non-chemistry majors know as the main ingredient in chlorine bleach. It’s found in dozens of both household and industrial cleaners as well as bleach. Chlorine can be an environmental hazard, as it easily reacts with other substances to form harmful chemicals like dioxins, so consumers should use any cleaner containing chlorine according to instructions.

If commercial chlorine-based sprays or wipes aren't available, a solution of 5 tablespoons, or 1/3 cup of chlorine bleach added to a gallon of water or 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water is a cost-effective means of disinfection according to the Centers for Disease Control.

But Popescu said, "Be mindful that you're using a bleach product; you won't want to use it on fabric." Clean high-touch surfaces like door knobs, counters, certain table tops, keyboards and other such areas.

Non-chlorine bleaches used by people with sensitivities won’t kill off viruses, bacteria or fungal agents, as they contain only 3% to 5% percent hydrogen peroxide, which isn’t present in a strong enough concentration to be effective, according to two non-chlorine bleach manufacturers.

Some organic-based antiseptics will kill pathogens but not humans

A stronger concentration of hydrogen peroxide that was once part of every mother’s home pharmacy is listed by the EPA as an active ingredient in some germ-busting products.

"It's a proven formula that has stood the test of time," said Rolf Halden, director of the Center for Environmental Health Engineering at ASU’s Biodesign Institute and the author of the forthcoming book "Environment." "It's a powerful oxidizer," he said.

Peroxide is hailed as a “green” alternative to chlorine. It’s not nearly as ecologically nasty as chlorine, but if it’s used in much higher concentrations than what’s needed to disinfect a contaminated countertop, peroxide can be corrosive or even explosive.

Another old-school disinfectant on the list: iodine. Although the EPA did not indicate that it could be used to disinfect hard surfaces by itself, iodine is an active ingredient in at least one industrial disinfectant used in food and dairy processing plants. There is the issue of staining those pristine white quartz countertops pink.

"You don't want to destroy anything," Hulden said. "You want to be aware of what a particular cleaner does to a surface."

Products containing citrus acid and thymol, found in citrus fruits and the common thyme plant (Thymus vulgaris), are also on the EPA’s list. Using these substances isn’t as easy as squeezing an orange or dicing up thyme leaves, but citrus acid-based products are on the EPA’s disinfectant list under brand names as familiar as Lysol and Comet. Make sure a product meets the emerging viral pathogen claim before purchasing it.

Other disinfectants to consider

Hydrochloric acid, an active ingredient in toilet bowl cleaners, is also a byproduct of coal burning and has been attributed to wetlands acidification when airborne, although it’s also used in water treatment plants. It’s best to use it only for keeping your bowl sparkling clean.

Another substance used to eradicate viruses, bacteria and other pathogenic organisms like funguses is glycolic acid. It’s found in commercial cleaning products. It’s also an ingredient in skin care products like anti-aging creams.

Some disinfectants like peroxyacetic acid, potassium peroxymonosulfate, sodium dischloroisocyanurate dihydrate and phenolic-based cleaners may not be available to consumers.

With demand for cleaners growing, the EPA moved this week to allow manufacturers of disinfectants on the agency list to get some active ingredients from any source without agency permission. That could speed the availability of some products to store shelves or to industrial users.

Active ingredients on this listinclude citric acid, glycolic acid, hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite among others.

“It is critical that the supply of EPA-registered disinfectants keep up with the demand for these products,” said Alexandra Dapolito Dunn, assistant administrator of EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention in a statement. “By taking this action, EPA is better protecting public health by assuring the availability of surface disinfectants to use against the novel coronavirus.”

Using disinfectants properly

The Centers for Disease Control recommends using gloves when cleaning and disinfecting any surface or item suspected to be harboring the virus that causes COVID-19. For best results, follow CDC or EPA suggestions as to how long to let a particular disinfectant do its work.

Popescu said disinfectants need to remain wet throughout the specified time according to the manufacturer's instructions.

"Some of those products need to be left on a minute or so," she said. If it dries before the time is up, rewet it, she said.

Some disinfectants should be left on the surface for up to 10 minutes to be effective. Whatever material used to spread and wipe the disinfectant off should be discarded and not re-used.

Isolating a person who's come down with COVID-19 from others in the home is essential, Halden said.

"Keep them in one part of the house," he said. "Cook in one area and deliver the food." Also, if a separate bathroom isn't available, disinfect it each time the sick person uses it.

Popescu said items used by an ill person, whether from COVID-19 or other infectious disease, should be washed and dried in a dryer using the hottest water and dryer setting possible for the fabric. That goes for sofa throws, bedding, towels and other washable items, she said. The CDC recommends using gloves and disinfecting baskets or hampers after the soiled items are removed.

To avoid single-use plastic bags cluttering landfills, shoppers may still want to bring their own reusable bags, although stores will require the person pack their own bag, and the reusable bags should be washed after use.

After shopping, Popescu said, "The biggest thing is hand hygiene." Wash hands for at least 20 seconds using soap and hot water.

If having food delivered, Popescu said the food can be taken out of the delivery containers.

"You don't want to wash everything with soap and water or bleach because you could get sick, but it's just about getting it out of the transport bag or containers and then washing your hands, and not touching your face," she said.

There's also no substitute for maintaining social distance to prevent being infected, said both Halden and Popescu, since viruses are typically transmitted by droplets. Halden advises caution when venturing out for essentials or any other need outside the home.

"How close you are to the cashier or others around you?" Halden said.

Avoiding stress is important, too, he said, because prolonged stress can cause health issues. Hulden said one of the best strategies one can use to avoid becoming sick is, "Don't panic."

Popescu said, "This is a novel situation and people want a new thing to do, but there's not any new thing to do just outside of the tried and true infection control measures."

Reach the reporter at debra.krol@AZCentral.com or at 602-444-8490. Follow her on Twitter at @debkrol.

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