The Thirteenth Annual Antimicrobial Workshop is an ongoing event that started in March 24th., 2021. It’s presented by the American Chemistry Council Center for Biocide Chemistries, the Household and Commercial Products Association, and ISSA, the Worldwide Cleaning Industry Association, in coordination with the U.S. EPA Antimicrobials Division. Universal Janitorial Services Inc. had the opportunity to attend this event and the first of several sessions began today.
Summary Of The Thirteenth Annual Antimicrobial Workshop
Of the multiple topics covered, there were two major takeaways.
- There Are Currently NO EPA Approved Residual Disinfectants Available
- EPA Are Testing To Find Evidence Based Residual Disinfectants
What Does Residual Disinfection Mean?
They claim they can spray your surfaces with a chemical, some even say it’s EPA-approved (it’s not), and that process will not only kill germs, including coronavirus, but can continue to protect your facility for days, weeks, or months afterwards. This is called “residual disinfecting”, or residual kill claims.
NO Current EPA Approved Residual Disinfectants Available
Last summer, the EPA did grant an emergency exemption for one single product. It was hopeful that this product could be the first to market that can claim a residual disinfecting status, but unfortunately the EPA revealed through the Workshop today that the science does not support their claims and the product has failed under repeat surface wiping and moisture removes any efficacy the product may have against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that can lead to COVID-19.
During the course of this Antimicrobial Workshop, we had the opportunity to ask …
“Are there any products out there, that are EPA-registered, that continue to kill viruses like and including SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus) long after they were sprayed?”
The answer?
There are ZERO products out there that can kill this or any virus for any significant length of time beyond the time it was sprayed.
Universal posted on “False & Misleading Disinfectant Claims” last summer. We talked about how there were many, many commercial cleaning companies out there who are making false and misleading claims. We posted that we found examples of cleaning companies promising to keep your surfaces safe from germs for 7 days, 30 days, 6 months, and even a year.
Since we posted the article “False and Misleading COVID-19 Disinfectant Claims” , we found one company that claimed they will keep your entire facility safe for 5 years! Wow….modern-day snake oil at its best.
EPA Is Searching For Residual Disinfection Products
The EPA is continuously looking for products that can make the claim and have the science to back it up. Right now they are looking for products that can meet a 7-day residual disinfecting claim. All products put forth before the EPA have failed.
We’re always looking out for our clients, and we’re doing our best to keep ahead of the research and studies out there when it comes to keeping your facility safer from the threat of germs, especially with SARS-CoV-2 now.