Germ Away Foaming Germicidal Cleaner 18oz

Most bathroom cleaners either clean or disinfect. Germ Away does both in one pass, and it does it as a clinging white foam rather than a liquid that runs straight down the shower wall onto the floor. It is EPA registered and USDA authorized, and its label meets the requirements for hospital use — the same can that gets used in nursing homes, medical facilities and veterinary clinics. One step, not two It is a tested one-step cleaner and disinfectant. You are not cleaning first and then disinfecting a second time — the foam does both jobs in the same ten minutes. Foam that stays put Sprayed on a shower wall or the underside of a toilet rim, it clings where you put it. That is the whole reason it works on vertical surfaces, where a liquid spray runs off before it has had time to kill anything. Works through real mess Efficacy testing was done in the presence of 5% blood serum. In plain terms, it still disinfects on a surface that is genuinely dirty, not only on one that is already clean. Buying more than one? The 12 pack case brings it down to $8.33 a can instead of $14.99 — $79.89 off the price of twelve singles. Same can, same registration, just the carton QuestSpecialty packs them in. What it kills These are the organisms on the EPA-registered label, not general claims: MRSA — methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus Staphylococcus aureus (ordinary staph) Pseudomonas aeruginosa Salmonella enterica Legionella pneumophila Influenza A H1N1 Herpes simplex types 1 and 2 Canine parvovirus HIV-1 on precleaned surfaces previously soiled with blood or body fluids Athlete’s foot fungus (T. mentagrophytes) on bathroom, shower and locker room floors Mold and mildew, and the odors they cause Why it matters Almost everybody uses a disinfectant wrong in the same way: they spray it and wipe it straight off. Every EPA disinfection claim depends on the surface staying wet for a set time — ten minutes for this one. Spray, walk away, come back and wipe. A surface wiped dry after thirty seconds has been cleaned, not disinfected. How to use it Shake the can. Hold it six to eight inches away and spray until the surface is covered in white foam. Leave it for ten minutes. It needs to stay wet for the full ten minutes for the disinfection claim to hold. Wipe off with a clean cloth, mop or sponge. No scrubbing needed, and it leaves no grit or soap scum behind. On a heavily soiled area, remove the worst of it first, then treat. For mold and mildew control the method is different: pre-clean the surface, spray until completely wet, and let it air dry rather than wiping. Repeat weekly, or whenever growth comes back. Where it works Safe on glazed porcelain, glazed tile, Formica, vinyl, stainless steel, chrome, plastic, finished woodwork, metal and other hard non-porous surfaces. It will not harm chrome or metal, and it contains no acids or abrasives. Bathrooms — showers, bathtubs, toilets, sinks, tile, fixtures Locker rooms and gyms — the athlete’s foot claim is specifically for floors walked on with bare feet Kitchens and break rooms — tables, chairs, counters, garbage areas HVAC catch pans and air conditioning evaporator coils — a common and rarely treated source of musty smells Veterinary clinics, kennels, catteries, grooming shops and pet quarters — cages, kennels, stalls, equipment Nursing homes, medical facilities, schools, offices, motels and hotels Where not to use it Do not use it to disinfect the inside of a refrigerator, a microwave or any appliance, and do not use it on dishes, glassware or eating utensils. Any surface that food touches must be rinsed with drinking water after you disinfect it. It is not a sterilant and must not be used on anything that goes inside the body. It is an aerosol — keep it away from heat, and never puncture or burn the can, even when it is empty. Federal law requires it to be used exactly as its label says. Pets, kennels and animal areas Canine parvovirus is the reason this can sits in a lot of kennels. Parvo survives on hard surfaces for a very long time and most ordinary cleaners do nothing to it. If you are treating animal quarters, take the animals and their food out first, remove all litter and droppings, then apply as above. Ventilate afterward, and do not bring animals back in until everything has dried. Anything that touches feed or water — bowls, troughs, automatic feeders — has to be scrubbed with soap and rinsed with drinking water before it goes back into use. Size 18 oz net weight (20 oz can) Manufacturer part number QuestSpecialty 2170 EPA registration Reg. No. 44446-23, Est. No. 44446-TX-1 Type One-step foaming cleaner and hospital disinfectant Active ingredients Quaternary ammonium compounds (dual quat, 0.06% each) Contact time Surface must stay wet for 10 minutes Form Water-based aerosol foam, white Scent Light ammonia and citrus pH 11.3 to 11.7 Propellant Hydrocarbon Contains No CFCs, no phosphates, no acids, no abrasives Biodegradable Yes Shelf life 1 year or more; stable down to 32°F Safety rating HMIS Health 1, Flammability 0, Reactivity 1 Made by QuestSpecialty Corporation, Brenham, Texas Common questions Do I really have to wait ten minutes? For the disinfecting claims, yes. Ten minutes of wet contact is what the EPA registration is based on. If you wipe it off after a minute you have cleaned the surface — which the foam does very well — but you have not disinfected it. Spray the whole bathroom, then start at the beginning again. Will it damage chrome, or leave a film? No. There are no acids or abrasives in it, and the manufacturer states plainly that it will not harm chrome or metal. It rinses off without leaving grit or soap scum, which is what usually dulls fixtures over time. Can I use it in the kitchen? On counters, tables, chairs and garbage areas, yes — but anything that food touches has to be rinsed with drinking water afterward. Do not use it on dishes, glassware or utensils, and do not use it inside a refrigerator or microwave. Is it safe around pets? It is used in veterinary clinics and kennels, so yes, when used as directed. Keep animals out of the area while you are applying it and until every surface has dried. Bowls and feeders need soap and a drinking-water rinse before they go back down. What does it smell like? A light ammonia and citrus scent while you are using it, which fades as it dries. If you want the room to smell of something afterward, Spring Mist or Odor Assassin handles that part. Will it get rid of black mold in the shower? It controls mold and mildew on hard, non-porous surfaces and kills the odor that goes with them. Clean the surface first, spray it until it is completely wet, and let it air dry rather than wiping. Repeat weekly. Mold growing inside porous grout or drywall is a different job and needs the source of moisture fixed. Goes well with Germ Away 12 pack case — twelve of these cans at $8.33 each Spring Mist Dry Air Freshener — for the room once the surfaces are done Lights Out Bed Bug Killer — the insect side of the same job, from the same manufacturer Python EZ A/C Care — the same idea, registered for air conditioning evaporator coils and drain pans Steam cleaners — heat sanitizes grout, tile and upholstery with no chemical at all Browse all of our cleaning supplies.