Frequently Asked Questions

• Do PDI Germicidal Disposable Wipes and Germicidal Sprays contain any ingredient listed as carcinogenic?

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  PDI disinfectants DO NOT contain any ingredients listed as a carcinogenic by the National Toxicology Program (NTP), American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). To register any disinfectant product with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the manufacturer is required to provide the EPA with the product’s manufacturing process, active and inactive ingredients, efficacy, chemistry, toxicity, and information about relevant impurities. The EPA conducts a thorough review of these materials and product’s ingredients. The agency would not register any product if it contained carcinogens without requiring relevant label warnings (40 CFR 156.10(g)(7)). As such, Sani-Cloth® Wipes and Sani-Prime™ Spray do not contain carcinogenic label warnings.

• Does PDI offer any products that are effective against Clostridium difficile spores and Norovirus?

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  Yes. Sani-Cloth® Bleach Germicidal Disposable Wipes are effective against 50 clinically relevant microorganisms, including Clostridium difficile spores and Norovirus.

• What is contact time and what happens if the surface dries before the stated contact time on a Sani-Cloth® and Sani-Prime®product label?

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  The contact time listed on the product label is the total amount of time that it takes to inactivate ALL of the microorganisms listed on the product label. This time is typically referred to in minutes, and should be communicated to staff members that are utilizing the disinfectant. In certain geographies and also in settings where temperature, relative humidity, and air changes may vary, it is possible that the surface may not remain visibly wet for the designated contact time. Current EPA guidance requires that the treated environmental surface or equipment remains wet for the contact time stated on product label. Additional wipes may be needed in order to comply with the EPA guidance, however the overall contact time does not change. While the EPA requires the treated environmental surfaces to remain wet for the stated contact time, leading researchers in infection prevention offer an alternate view. In a commentary published in Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology (March 2018, vol. 39, no. 3, pp 229-331), Dr. W.A. Rutala and Dr. D. J. Weber suggest that contact time and treatment time are mutually exclusive. They suggest that treatment time, irrelevant of wet time, should be followed by healthcare workers for wipes and sprays (except bleach products.) PDI will continue to monitor the science closely and provide their customers with the latest information as federal law permits.