What do hospitals use to disinfect?

Hospitals use a range of EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectants and advanced technologies to disinfect surfaces, equipment, and air, far stronger than household products, with strict protocols to kill bacteria including MRSA and tuberculosis, viruses including COVID, fungi, and spores. For surfaces, they commonly use bleach-based disinfectants like sodium hypochlorite at 1000 to 5000 ppm for blood spills and rooms of patients with C. difficile because bleach kills spores, quaternary ammonium compounds or quats like CaviWipes and Lysol Healthcare for daily cleaning of patient rooms, bed rails, and high-touch areas, and hydrogen peroxide based disinfectants like Oxivir which have fast 1 minute kill times, are effective against TB, and have lower odor and toxicity. For medical instruments, they use high-level disinfectants like glutaraldehyde and peracetic acid that sterilize. For hands, they use alcohol-based sanitizers with 60 to 80 percent ethanol and chlorhexidine. For terminal cleaning after discharge of patients who were in negative pressure isolation for airborne diseases, they use thorough cleaning with these disinfectants plus sometimes UV-C light robots that emit germicidal ultraviolet light to kill remaining microbes on surfaces, and hydrogen peroxide vapor systems that fill room with vapor to disinfect all surfaces. They also use HEPA filtered negative air machines to filter airborne pathogens. Staff follow contact time where surface must stay wet for specified minutes, wear PPE, ensure ventilation to avoid fume inhalation, and use color-coded cloths to prevent cross-contamination.