Why Disinfectant Testing is Important?

Surface disinfection plays a crucial role to prevent cross-infection that happens due to the contact with contaminated surfaces. Disinfectants and antiseptics (such as hand rubs and handwashes) are extensively used for disinfection and hygiene practices. The biocidal action of disinfectants helps in eliminating the pathogenic microbes (bacteria, viruses, fungi, etc) present on inanimate objects. While antiseptics are used to kill or prevent the growth of pathogens from skin surfaces.

Before launching disinfectant and antiseptic products in the market or using it in real conditions, it is pertinent to evaluate the manufacturer’s efficacy recommendations. The efficacy of disinfectants and antiseptics is measured by their “log reduction” value. Log reduction is a mathematical term used to define the relative number of living microorganisms that disinfectant eliminates in a given amount of time. And to make the performance claims, a disinfectant product needs to achieve a 5-log reduction value against the test microorganisms, which means that the sample inactivates (kills) 99.999 % of microbes.