Is the bottle you're holding 3-percent sodium hypochlorite or 5.25? What’s the difference between a quaternary ammonium compound that’s dilutable at 2 ounces per gallon and one that’s dilutable at 18? How long is the required contact time? Does it need rinsing to reduce toxicity? And why does the manufacturer distinguish between “enveloped” and “nonenveloped” viruses?

If that’s all Greek—or scientific babble—to you, you’re not alone. Trying to find out whether a product is bactericidal, fungicidal, or parvocidal is enough to make you homicidal, especially if you’re not well-versed in the intricacies of the periodic table of elements.

But you don’t need a degree in chemistry or microbiology to learn how to choose the right disinfectants for your facility and implement an effective disease control program. What you do need is basic knowledge of the product registration process, an understanding of common terms used by manufacturers, and insight into safety and toxicity concerns—all of which we hope to pass along to you in the following series of articles.

You also need to implement adequate separation, isolation, ventilation, and vaccination practices, as well as simple but critical cleaning measures. After all, as some of the experts will explain in this feature section, product selection is only the beginning of your journey toward a clean and comfortable facility; you could pour whatever you want on a microbe, but if you’re not using the right tools and the right methods to scrub and rinse, you’ll be sending not the germs but your efforts down the drain.

Join us for a tour of the basics in the battle against the bugs—and find a whole host of resources you can refer to again and again in your quest for answers. Though it may be obscured by complicated references to chlorphenhexonaloxymonohypoalonines, the truth, in all its ever-evolving and mutating forms, is out there.

The Product Claim Game
Navigating the world of disinfectants, one bottle at a time

Defining the Terms
Clarification on some common terms you may encounter while developing a cleaning and disease control program for your facility.

The Bleach Niche
Is the old standby, sodium hypochlorite, still the gold standard?

Great Points in the Fine Print
Learning how to glean important information from a bottle label can help you narrow your choices of available products. Here are a few tips on learning the lingo.

Being Chemically Balanced Is No Guarantee
A cleaning a day keeps the bugs at bay, but the question is, how much cleaning should you do—and how frequently?

Don't Let the Fomites Get You Down
You may have had a hand in cross-infection in the past—without even knowing it

Resistance Is Futile If You Clean Properly
Rotation of similar products won’t make much difference in the end result, but rotating quats with bleach is still recommended