Disinfection refers to the elimination of virtually all pathogenic organisms on inanimate objects and surfaces, reducing the level of microbial contamination to a safe level.

When choosing a disinfectant one should consider:

• the organism or virus
• item to be disinfected
• hazardous properties of the disinfectant
• cost and ease of use of the disinfectant.

EHS provides a list of commonly-used laboratory disinfectants for surface cleaning, along with their properties, hazards and optimal applications.