Product Commentary: Housekeeping Products: The Choice Is Yours

Extract

For years, Infection Control Practitioners have been asked to identify the “ultimate” hospital::: disinfectant. Health care personnel seem to want a multipurpose product; one that can he used for handwashing for, instrument disinfection and for cleaning the commode. Simply stated, there is not one product that call successfully do all three. Antiseptic solutions, which are approved by the Food and Drug Administration are for use on skin (ie, handwashing and skirt preparation whereas disinfectants are for use in the inanimate environment and are approved by the Environmental Protection Agency.

There are two classifications of' disinfectants housekeeping disinfectants and instrument disinfectants. Housekeeping disinfectants are generally low-level disinfectants, and quartenary ammonium compounds or phenol-based solutions are the most common. Instrument disinfectants are high-level disinfectants such as glutaraldehydes and chlorine dioxide.