14 Ways You’re Using Disinfectants Wrong

You’re Cleaning … But Are You Disinfecting?

It’s more important than ever to disinfect your home properly, but there’s a good chance you might not know the best ways to do it — not really, anyway. For starters, there’s a big difference between cleaning and disinfecting. “While cleaning removes viruses, disinfection neutralizes them with chemicals, so you will need to both clean and disinfect,” says Elena Ledoux, founder of the Las Vegas-based Superb Maids. “The most effective cleaning method is soap and hot water. For bacteria, soap will force the microbes to release from surfaces and break water tension, moving the germs to a rag or down the sink.” Need more help? We’ve got you covered —here’s the difference between disinfecting, cleaning, and sanitizing.

Viruses such as COVID-19, SARS, and MERS have a lipid (fatty) layer, making them a lot more stubborn and difficult to kill. “According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), soap destroys this lipid layer, stopping the virus from being able to infect you,” Ledoux explains. “Disinfectants that work [on surfaces] are bleach, alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide. Vinegar, ammonia, witch hazel, and tea tree oil do not work as disinfectants.” By the way, this is why Clorox is so good at killing germs.

To help you stay safe, now and always, we asked cleaning experts to weigh in on the disinfecting missteps to avoid.

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