Disinfectant tests

2020-04-11

Many people produce surface and hand disinfectants in these COVID-19 times. Whether or not a disinfectant works is tested by different standards, e.g. suspension test according to ISO 13727: 2012 + A2: 2015 in phase 2, step 1, hygienic hand disinfection according to ISO 1500: 2013 in phase 2 step 2 or surface disinfection according to ISO 13697: 2015 + A1: 2019. Micans is now testing disinfectants from various manufacturers according to these standards to ensure they have the intended effect.

We can also give advice on what tests should be done for different applications and then we follow ISO 14885: 2018 which describes what should be done for different applications. Should the agent work on skin, on surfaces, should it work on clean surfaces or dirty surfaces? The standards govern what to do depending on the application. The active substances vary between products, often involving short alcohols, hypochlorous acid, hydrogen peroxide or chlorine dioxide. These agents have different good effects depending on the application area.

When choosing a disinfectant, be sure to check that it has been tested to the applicable standards for the applications it intends to use. There shall be a record or reference to the tests specified for the product in question. Right now many different products are coming to the market and the best way to make sure that they work as promised is to make sure that an independent, accredited laboratory has tested the product according to the current standard.

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