What do hospitals use to disinfect surfaces?

Hospitals use hospital-grade, EPA-registered disinfectants that are much stronger than household cleaners and are proven to kill bacteria including MRSA and tuberculosis, viruses including COVID and norovirus, fungi, and in some cases spores, with strict protocols for contact time and ventilation. Common disinfectants used include bleach-based products like sodium hypochlorite at 1000 to 5000 ppm for blood spills and C. difficile rooms because bleach kills spores, quaternary ammonium compounds known as quats like Lysol and CaviWipes for daily cleaning of patient rooms and equipment, hydrogen peroxide based disinfectants like Oxivir which have fast kill times of 1 minute and are less irritating and effective against TB, and accelerated hydrogen peroxide for operating rooms. For high-touch surfaces like bed rails, doorknobs, and call buttons, hospitals use disinfectant wipes like PDI Super Sani-Cloth and CaviWipes that combine cleaning and disinfection. For floors, they use automated scrubbers with disinfectants. For terminal cleaning after patient discharge, especially for airborne diseases that required negative pressure rooms, they use thorough cleaning with these disinfectants plus sometimes UV-C light robots and hydrogen peroxide vapor for extra disinfection. Staff must wear PPE, follow dwell time where surface must stay wet for 1 to 5 minutes to kill germs, ensure good ventilation to avoid inhaling fumes, and use color-coded microfiber cloths to prevent cross-contamination between bathrooms and patient areas.