Understanding what types of surfaces a disinfectant or other antimicrobial product can be safely and effectively used on is one of the most important factors when considering which product is best for your needs. The reason for its importance is very few antimicrobial products are EPA registered, or approved for use on the materials and surfaces that most people are in contact with most often.

Due to the many different types of materials, surfaces, and finishes that comprise and fill the various spaces in which we live and work, and the challenges involved in safely and effectively eliminating germs on such an array of materials, the EPA separates all objects and materials into three (3) basic Types of Surfaces:

• HARD, NON-POROUS SURFACES, or, as they are more commonly referred to, simply: “Hard Surfaces,” which include mostly floors, countertops, bathroom fixtures, and various other Non-Food Contact, Non-Porous items made from aluminum, chrome, stainless steel, glazed porcelain, sealed concrete, sealed stone or ceramic tiles, Formica, and linoleum.
• SOFT AND POROUS SURFACES, or “Soft Surfaces,” which include carpets, curtains, upholstered furniture, mattresses, bedding, all clothing, footwear, gym bags, stuffed animals and other toys, all fabrics and textiles, car and other vehicle interiors, wood and wood-based products, drywall, plaster, concrete, brick, stone, wallpaper, textured surfaces and many, many more.
• FOOD CONTACT SURFACES, which include glassware, dishes, utensils, cookware, cutting boards, tables, countertops, can openers, slicers, mixers, coffee machines, other appliances, and every other item used to prepare, cook, serve or consume food or beverages.

Unsurprisingly, most disease-causing microorganisms congregate on, and are contracted from the surfaces people come in contact with the most. Accordingly, it’s these surfaces that require the most sanitization attention. If you’re like most people, your hands or some other unprotected part of your body is in contact with Soft and Porous Surfaces, and/or Food Contact Surfaces, almost perpetually, while you probably only rarely touch any purely Hard, Non-Porous Surfaces.

Think about it for a moment. How much time do you spend each day or week with your hands, or other bare skin in contact with the Soft and Porous Surfaces mentioned above, which likely include everything you’re currently wearing, as well as what you slept in and on last night, what your sitting on as you read this, and most other items in your daily life. Add to this the time you spend in contact with Food Contact Surfaces, which include all of those listed above and more, and you may be hard pressed to think of any meaningful amount of time each day when you’re not in contact with these two types of surfaces.

Now consider how much time you spend with your hands or other unprotected parts of your body in contact with “Hard, Non-Porous Surfaces,” which are largely confined to certain plumbing fixtures, floors and some countertops … and you’re probably comparing months to minutes.

Well over 95% of the physical contact the average person has with all of the various materials, man-made items and products that are available in today’s world, is with Soft, Porous and Food Contact Surfaces. However, compare antimicrobial product labels and you’ll see that shockingly few disinfectants, sanitizers, or similar products are EPA registered, or approved for use on any surfaces other than Hard, Nonporous Surfaces.

Remember, if “Soft Surface Sanitization” and “Food Contact Surface Sanitization” are not specifically listed on an antimicrobial product’s label, then that product is either incapable of safely or effectively eliminating the EPA mandated quantity of microorganisms on these surfaces, or it has otherwise failed to satisfy the EPA's testing standards for these uses. Regardless of the reason, it cannot be used for such purposes. Further, as displayed on every bottle of every antimicrobial product sold in the U.S., using an antimicrobial “in a manner inconsistent with its labeling is a violation of Federal Law.”

NOTE: Unlike other antimicrobial products, PermaSafe CLEAN is EPA registered for the safe and effective elimination of harmful bacteria on each of Hard Non-Porous Surfaces, Soft and Porous Surfaces, and Food Contact Surfaces … making it the ideal sanitization solution for practically every inch of every residential, commercial, institutional and industrial space, as well as every item and surface in them.