Disinfectants are chemicals that kill bacteria, viruses and fungi. They can be used in various ways to help prevent the spread of disease. Disinfectants may be liquid or solid, depending on how they are used. Disinfectants are usually made from one of two types of chemicals: either chlorine or hydrogen peroxide. These chemicals have a bleaching effect on stains, which helps remove them from fabrics and surfaces.
Categories
Disinfectants also referred to as germicides, are products that kill or inhibit the growth of microorganisms. These products are used in a variety of applications, including food processing, water treatment and dental care. Disinfectants can be divided into three main groups:
Threshold disinfectants: These detergents or surfactants are designed to kill or inhibit the growth of microbes on contact. They may also cause physical damage to the microbial cells, which results in rapid cell death.
Ozone is a powerful oxidant that attacks biological organisms by destroying their DNA. It is used in hospitals, water treatment plants and other places with a potential for microbial contamination.
Chlorine (Cl 2 ) – Chlorine (Cl 2 ) gas is an oxidising agent that destroys bacteria by attacking their cell walls and making them unable to reproduce or grow. Chlorine has minimal effect on viruses and non-living organisms such as plants and algae.
Degreaser
Degreaser is one of the disinfectant chemicals that breaks down oils, fats and greases by breaking them down into smaller molecules. It can be used on any surface that needs to be cleaned. Degreasers are used to clean grease, oil and other organic matter from surfaces such as glassware, metal appliances, plastic containers and more.
What Do They Contain?
Disinfectants kill bacteria, viruses and germs on surfaces. They’re not the same as cleaning agents or sanitisers, though they do work in tandem with them. Disinfectants are used to clean hard surfaces such as counters or floors; they don’t work on softer materials like fabrics or leather.
Disinfectant cleaners can contain one or more active ingredients that kill microorganisms (bacteria). The most common ones include alcohols like ethanol (grain alcohol) and isopropyl alcohol; quaternary ammonium compounds such as triclosan; phenolics like chloroxylenol; and chlorine dioxide gas generated when bleach reacts with water at high temperature, the same reaction that creates hydrogen peroxide when bleach is exposed to air.
Where Are They Used?
Disinfectants are used for a variety of purposes. In the food industry, disinfectant chemicals are used to produce meat, poultry and seafood. Food manufacturers use disinfectants to disinfect equipment and surfaces that come into contact with food before it is processed. Disinfectants also kill bacteria on meat as it is packaged and shipped from the factory to grocery stores. Disinfectant chemicals are used in hospitals and nursing homes to sterilise surgical instruments between patients and decontaminate rooms after cleaning. Disinfection can also be used on a patient’s skin before an operation or in a hospital room where there has been an accident so that germs do not spread from one person to another.
In the building industry, disinfectants are used to clean carpets, floors and other surfaces that come into contact with people’s feet when they enter a building. Disinfection may be needed because of poor hygiene practices by employees or visitors who have touched contaminated surfaces with their bare hands or who have touched their mouths after handling contaminated items like food or beverages left on countertops or tables for long periods of time.
