When you’re selecting a cleaning or disinfectant product to use at your business, what do you consider? Most likely, you’re looking for a product you can trust to effectively fight sickness-causing germs without exposing your staff and clients to toxic chemicals. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done. Thanks to poor regulation, the cleaning industry is packed with products that contain toxic, dangerous ingredients, complicated handling instructions, and all kinds of marketing claims and terms that can make it difficult to trust that your product is going to work effectively when you need it. Many of the most common products on shelves contain dangerous chemicals that are directly linked to serious health problems, so our increased usage of disinfectants and cleaning products might be putting us at a serious health risk even as we are trying to protect ourselves! This issue is so important that scientists are considering the increased exposure to these products an important public health concern. Here’s what you need to know about selecting a disinfectant for your business, and why choosing an EPA-registered disinfectant like Force of Nature is essential.
Why Using An EPA Registered Disinfectant Is Essential
1. Not all cleaning or sanitizing products are disinfectants.
The processes of cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting are different. The term “disinfectant” is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), meaning that products have to meet certain standards in pathogen testing before they can be called a disinfectant. Products using the terms “disinfectant” or “kills germs” are legally required to be registered with the EPA, which means they have to undergo pathogen-kill testing in EPA approved labs using EPA approved testing protocols, and they must kill a specific set of microbes to the 99.9% level within a certain time. Part of what the EPA registration process determines is whether the product effectively kills the germs, viruses, and bacteria that it says it does within a specified “dwell time.” The EPA does not regulate cleaning products unless they also claim to sanitize or disinfect, so if the products you’re using only say they clean, you really don’t know how well they work fighting germs, viruses, and bacteria.2. Not all cleaning products (or all disinfectants) are safe.
Chemicals in many disinfectant products are proven to trigger and exacerbate asthma and allergy conditions and one study found that daily exposure to toxic cleaning products is equivalent to smoking a pack of cigarettes a day. Because the EPA tests the disinfectant products in a specific setting and usage, every disinfectant product has to include clear messaging guidelines for use so that you know you are using the product effectively. This should include any safety or protective gear needed for use, including masks, eye protection, and gloves.3. Not all products are what they say they are.
The EPA takes consumer safety very seriously and, as they did during the pandemic, cracked down on false claims and fraudulent products to ensure that business owners and consumers could trust registered disinfectants to help keep them safe from COVID-19.4. Not all products are safe to use against the virus that causes COVID-19.
Just because a product is a registered disinfectant does not mean it is safe to use against COVID-19. The EPA has their own list of disinfectants approved for use against SARS-CoV-2, the cause of Covid-19 called List N. EPA expects all products on List N to kill all strains and variants of SARS-CoV-2. You can learn about List N here and see Force of Nature’s EPA registration information here.What You Need To Know About Force of Nature as an EPA-Registered Disinfectant
Force of Nature is an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant that kills 99.9% of germs. We’re also proud to be on EPA’s list N, the disinfectants approved for use against SARS-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19. Fun Fact (well, to some of us!): The EPA registers 3 types of disinfectants based on their germ-killing efficacy: Limited, Broad-Spectrum, and Hospital-Grade. Limited disinfectants are effective against only a specific major group of microorganisms (such as gram-positive or gram-negative bacteria). Broad-spectrum disinfectants are effective against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. Hospital disinfectants are broad-spectrum disinfectants that are also effective against the nosocomial bacterial pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa.Some of the top perks of using Force of Nature as the EPA-registered disinfectant in your business:
- Certified 100% Top Allergen-Free. Many disinfectants can trigger and exacerbate respiratory conditions like asthma, allergies, and COPD. Force of Nature starts with only salt, vinegar, and water, so it’s gentle enough to use around those with these conditions – it can even be used to clean and disinfect CPAP machines. It’s free from skin and respiratory irritants, so you can feel good about your employees using Force of Nature without extra precautions like gloves, masks, and eye protection.
- We’re kid and animal-friendly. Children’s smaller size and rapidly developing bodies put them at disproportionate risk from harmful cleaning and disinfecting chemicals. Force of Nature is toxic chemical-free and gentle enough to use in daycares, schools, NICUs and veterinary clinics.