Question on disinfecting wipes

Fungster wrote: Hoping that someone with more science knowledge than myself could help. Knowing that the regular Clorox and Lysol wipes don’t kill the coronavirus, is it okay to add rubbing alcohol or hydrogen peroxide to a canister of Lysol/Clorox/baby wipes and use that as disinfectant wipes?  Will it be safe to do so?

I wouldn't adulterate them, the COVID-19 agent (SARS CoV2) is an "enveloped" virus, meaning it is very susceptible to chemical damage (they are inactivated, not killed, as they are not alive).   

It is more important for you to practice excellent skin/hand hygiene, and regular soap & water will suffice.  

This is a great resource:  https://www.infectioncontroltoday.com

When you go to the Lysol page - the wipes aren't listed in products that fight it, BUT I think that's because of the disclaimer that products are effective 'when used as directed' which in the case of Lysol means keeping the 'hard surface' wet for 10 minutes (should go look at a bottle to confirm but pretty sure that's what I read off back in store last week).  As the wipes dampen surface and it dries really quickly - the active ingredients likely simply don't have enough time to work.  

However for wiping phones, shopping carts etc - pretty hard to take a spray bottle and cloth so the wipes may be 'better then nothing' as option?  

This is jmo - my take on the wipes, maybe CRS can confirm? 

The Clorox wipes that I have list human coronavirus as one of the pathogens it kills. 

If in doubt, you can always soak some thick paper towels/wipes in dilute bleach (1:100 is usually enough to kill anything) and keep them in a ziplock bag. At home you could have a container of it ready to use. Just be aware that it off-gasses and loses it's effectiveness over time. You have to make it fresh every day, and it lasts longer in a covered, opaque container. At our clinic, we make it every morning in one liter plastic insulated drink cups with lids. Just remember that it's bleach and will mess with some surfaces and materials. Wet the object you're cleaning and let it air dry.

In order to determine the effectiveness of any disinfection chemical, you first need to ascertain the physical and biological characteristics of the pathogen you seek to neutralize. 

SARS-CoV2 is an "enveloped" virus, and is easily inactivated by relatively strong detergents and oxidizing agents.  Even hand soap will disrupt its outer envelope, derived from host cellular proteins. 

Norovirus is a small, non-enveloped virus, and is very difficult to control by chemical means - this is why cruise ships often have massive nor virus outbreaks at sea, it spreads like crazy via fecal/oral and gets all over hand rails, chairs etc.  

This graphic is from a hospital infection control magazine - note that "Ease of kill" is a misnomer, as viruses are NOT living organisms!!  However, the principle remains the same. 

Hazelpad wrote: In UK labs we use Virkon. Kills most but not prions.

Prions are impossible to get rid of.

I'm with JacksDad,

Bleach,make your own wipes.......

But DONT INJECT OR DRINK IT.......

(sorry couldn't resist)😈

Take care all   😷😉