The outbreak of the novel coronavirus, COVID-19, has Senior Living communities working to decrease the likelihood of outbreaks. While you may have the necessary cleaning and disinfecting supplies, it is essential to use proper cleaning techniques.
Most housekeepers, kitchen staff and healthcare workers aren’t properly trained to use disinfectants and may not be following best practices for infection prevention. They spray or wipe disinfectants on the surface that needs to be cleaned and immediately wipe it off. However if you remove the disinfectant too soon, the cleaner may be ineffective. Because of this, consider dwell time as part of your cleaning practices.
What is Dwell Time?
Dwell time, or contact time, is the amount of time disinfectants need to remain wet on surfaces to properly disinfect. This is an important consideration when purchasing cleaning supplies for fighting coronavirus. When paired with proper training, this can go a long way toward ensuring surfaces have been effectively sanitized and disinfected.
Dwell times vary by disinfectant and target organism type, like bacteria, virus or fungi. They range from 30 seconds to 10 minutes or more.
While a disinfectant may kill some of the organisms immediately upon contact, it must be allowed to dwell on the surface for the time period stated on the chemical’s packaging in order to achieve a 100% kill claim.
Dwell Time & COVID-19
Fast dwell times are important when fighting COVID-19. As you search through Direct Supply’s offering of EPA-registered disinfectants, keep a close eye on the contact times. Whether you’re using a spray or a wipe, it is essential staff know the appropriate time the disinfectant needs to dwell to stop the coronavirus in its tracks.
We know resident wellness is your top priority during the COVID-19 crisis, so we want to empower you with the information and products to help you make the right decisions and encourage your staff to wait the extra few seconds for disinfectants to dwell. The small steps you take today can make all the difference for your residents’ health. Below are dwell times for some of our most popular cleaning and disinfecting products.
| Disinfectant Products | EPA Recommended Dwell Times | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Product | SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) | Influenza A | C. Diff |
| Lysol® Disinfectant Spray | 3 min. | 30 sec. | N/A |
| Sani-Cloth AF3 Germicidal Disposable Wipes | 3 min. | 3 min. | N/A |
| Clorox® Germicidal Wipes | 1 min. | 1 min. | 3 min. |
| Oxivir® TB Disinfectant Cleaner Wipes | 1 min. | 1 min. | N/A |
| Clorox Healthcare® Fuzion™ Cleaner Disinfectant | 1 min. | 1 min. | N/A |
| Lysol All Purpose Cleaner with Bleach | 30 sec. | N/A | 5 min. |
| Lysol Mold and Mildew Remover with Bleach | 30 sec. | N/A | N/A |
| Clorox Hydrogen Peroxide Disinfectant Wipes | 1 min. | 30 sec. | N/A |
| Clorox Broad Spectrum Quaternary Disinfectant Cleaner | 3 min. | N/A | N/A |
Infection Prevention and COVID-19 Resources
We can help you find the right infection prevention solutions for your community, or browse our COVID-19 resource page for more coronavirus-specific information.
