Almost everyone has had to do cleaning up after a long day at work or school at one point in their lives. With such an important task, it helps to have the right supplies on hand to get the job done. Infectious disease outbreaks are more common than ever before, and the spread of this contagion can be prevented by following specific guidelines on daily life activities like what you touch, what you eat and drink, and how you clean your home. Disinfecting wipes are used for many different things in our everyday life as they can be used in many different ways. Surfaces, fabrics, and even skin can be disinfected using these wipes. They don’t smell bad, are easy to use, are very affordable, and can be found at almost any store.

Infectious diseases are an issue that everyone is faced with. In the United States alone, certain infections occur daily, ranging from coughs and colds to more serious conditions such as measles or meningitis. Many of these infectious diseases are spread through the air when infected individuals sneeze, cough, or even touch items that can transfer the disease through physical touch. To prevent this from becoming an issue, disinfecting wipes can be used for various purposes. With infectious diseases being spread every day and people being in contact with multiple surfaces during their day, we must all know how to correctly clean surfaces and ourselves daily.

According to the American Journal of Infection Control, disinfectant wipes are great because they remove 99% of germs within one minute of contact. Disinfecting wipes are so effective because they and the number of microbes that can be removed from a surface based on wet wipes alone. These wipes contain isopropyl alcohol, an ingredient that dries out the most germs between three and ten minutes after contact. There are also disinfectant wipes that contain a variety of ingredients, including iodine, chlorine, quaternary ammonium compounds (quats), and detergents.

The disinfectant wipe contains an ingredient mixture to help cleanse surfaces so that you don’t need to use toxic chemicals in your household or workplace. The ingredients in the cleansing wipe are known as safe and gentle cleaners making them less harmful than toxic chemicals that can residue on surfaces after cleaning with them. Most disinfectant wipesalso contain moisturizers to help prevent friction with clothing, skin, and hair. Before using disinfecting wipes, you must check the label for usage guidelines. Disinfecting wipes should be used for surfaces such as your kitchen counters, table tops, desks, microwave ovens, and more. Other places include fridges, toilets and even bed sheets. Some companies have industrial-strength wipes like those used in airports, but most disinfecting wipes tend to have a lower level of chemical activity than these bigger versions.