Efficacy of hospital-grade cleaners and disinfectants is one of the most widely scrutinized aspects of surface disinfection, yet this factor could be undermined by the lesser-known obstacle of materials compatibility -- how cleaning and disinfection chemistries interact with the materials from which healthcare equipment and surfaces are manufactured.
This report explores the issue of how the chemical disinfectants used for cleaning and surface disinfection in the healthcare setting affect the surface materials used in common healthcare equipment and the built environment.
All disinfectants have contraindications for certain materials in the healthcare environment, and so fact-finding and education during the product evaluation and purchasing process is key.