Schools are full of germs. More than a decade ago, leading microbiologist Dr. Chuck Gerba conducted pivotal research showing that 25-50% of surfaces in the classroom can harbor germs that cause stomach bugs and the flu during winter months.1 With germs ever present in our schools and nearly half of school staff reporting disinfecting their classrooms at least four times a day,2 many classrooms probably have a stash of disinfectant wipes to help teachers and staff efficiently keep surfaces germ-free.
Surface disinfectant wipes have some great advantages:
- They are convenient for teachers and staff to use since wipes are premoistened with the cleaning product, so unless a rinse is required, surface disinfection is done in one step.
- Wipes do not create dust or mist during use, so there is no need to worry about inhaling chemicals.
- Wipes can be used to disinfect irregular-shaped classroom surfaces that are hard to spray uniformly such as pencil sharpeners, doorknobs, and handles.
- In many cases, wipes are non-damaging to surfaces like touch screens or other electronics.
With these advantages in mind, surface disinfectant wipes are a great option to allow teachers and other staff to quickly kill germs and get back to what they are supposed to be doing in classrooms teaching. For time and efficiency's sake, school staff should focus their disinfectant use on the classroom surfaces that are most likely to be contaminated by germs that may cause illness. These include high-touch surfaces such as:
- Desks (including the teacher’s desk)
- Doorknobs
- Computer keyboards, mice, and touch screens
- Toys and hands-on learning items
- Shared items such as pencil sharpeners and staplers
- Faucet handles
In addition to focusing on high-touch surfaces, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some other conditions may warrant the need for increased surface disinfection.3 These may include times of high community transmission of COVID-19 (or other common community-spread illnesses, like colds, stomach bugs or the flu), low mask usage, or if the physical space (i.e., classroom) is occupied or used by anyone at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19.
With everyone wanting to keep classrooms germ-free, here are a few tips for teachers and school staff on what to look for on the surface disinfectant wipes label and to consider during use, to ensure wipes are used safely and effectively:
- Pay attention to “Caution” statements. Some disinfectants have higher toxicity ratings than others. These frequently have "Caution" statements like "causes eye irritation" or contains instructions to "wash hands thoroughly after use." Higher toxicity products may also require the use of gloves during use. As schools prepare for the next school year and assess what to include in recommended student supply lists, consider asking for surface wipes with the lowest EPA toxicity category rating of IV, which can typically be identified by the ABSENCE of these “Caution” statements.
- Do not use surface wipes on skin. Surface disinfectants should never be used on skin (i.e., for cleaning hands).
- Keep surfaces wet for the time indicated. Closely follow the directions for using disinfecting wipes since some products may take as long as 10 minutes to kill germs. It may be necessary to use more than one wipe to keep the surface wet for the necessary amount of time.
- Sanitize food contact surfaces properly. Some disinfectant wipes are suitable to use on food contact surfaces with no rinse, while others may require a rinse prior to contact with food.
- Dispose of used wipes and packaging appropriately. Towelettes should not be reused and should be discarded in a trash receptable after use. NEVER discard wipes in the toilet. Additionally, most canisters or packaging are non-refillable and should not be reused.
- Keep disinfectant wipes away from children. Children should never use surface disinfectants, including wipes. All disinfectant labels include the statement “Keep Out of Reach of Children,” since children are considered a vulnerable or sensitive population. Make sure that disinfectants are stored – and disposed of – out of children’s reach.
Powerful Germ Kill, No Harsh Chemicals
For classrooms, specials rooms, and staff offices and lounges, PURELL® Professional Surface Disinfecting Wipes quickly disinfect commonly touched surfaces. The lightly fragranced formulation kills 99.9% of viruses and bacteria, including cold and flu, strep, norovirus, and human coronavirus. With no strong or lingering chemical odors, and no need to wear gloves, teachers and staff can use them throughout the day to quickly disinfectant desks, doorknobs, shared supplies, and more.
For eat-in classrooms and cafeterias, PURELL® Foodservice Surface Sanitizing Wipes quickly sanitize food-contact surfaces. Meets 60-second food-contact sanitization requirements and requires no rinsing, meaning they simplify the sanitizing and disinfecting process in your school.
For more information on PURELL® Surface Wipes, visit GOJO.com/PURELLSurfaceWipes.
As schools prepare for the 2022-2023 school year, visit some of our past blog posts exploring topics impacting hands and the surfaces in schools they touch, including: