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.