Experts have added a product to the official list of cleaners that can kill the coronavirus, but there’s an important step that can’t be skipped.
Since the start of the pandemic, certain cleaners have been in very short supply. Now the Environmental Protection Agency has added Pine-Sol Original Multi-Surface Cleaner to the list of coronavirus killing products.
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Pine-Sol is product by the Clorox Company, which says consumers need to apply full-strength Pine-Sol with a clean sponge or cloth on a surface. The important extra step is to wait 10 minutes after application, then rinse the surface.
If the surface is heavily soiled, it should be pre-cleaned to remove excess dirt, experts said.
Pine-Sol is an effective cleaner for floors, doorknobs and toilets, but it shouldn’t be used on soft surfaces.
The 10 minute wait time is crucial, experts said. If a surface is rinsed too soon, the product might not kill the virus.
No matter the cleaner, it’s important to read the directions and follow them to the letter. Different products require varying wait times before wiping the surface. Those times are based on lab tests to determine how quickly products can kill the organism in question.
Experts said many people are skipping the wait time, which means surfaces aren’t actually being sanitized.
In additional to Pine-Sol, Clorox has 36 other products on the EPA’s list of disinfectants for use against coronavirus, including Clorox bleach, disinfecting bathroom cleaner and disinfecting wipes.
Due to overwhelming demand, Clorox expects the shortage to continue into 2021. That will likely include Pine-Sol, too.