Investigation of the product offering
On behalf of the Vienna Ombuds Office for Environmental Protection, the Technisches Büro Klade examined the range of disinfectant household products. Products from supermarkets and drugstores for which the manufacturers explicitly claimed to have a disinfectant or antibacterial effect were recorded.
The range examined included, among others:
- All-purpose and special cleaners,
- cleaning cloths and cleaning sponges,
- gels, soaps and sprays,
- detergents and dishwashing liquids,
- Hygiene rinse and other products for laundry disinfection.
The study assessed both the hazardous properties of the active ingredients used and the question of whether the use of the respective products under normal household conditions offers additional hygienic benefits.
Products based on organic acids, alcohols or peroxides are often relatively unproblematic from an environmental perspective, as these substances are generally easily degradable. However, depending on the active ingredient and concentration, they can irritate or burn skin and eyes. When using them, the instructions for use and the recommended protective measures must therefore be observed. Splashes and unnecessary skin contact should be avoided; If necessary, suitable protective gloves should be worn.
The use of kitchen sponges and cleaning cloths that contain silver is more critical. Such products can release silver ions, which are very toxic to aquatic organisms. Silver is not broken down in the environment and can accumulate in sewage sludge and water sediments, among other things.
Hygiene rinsers for laundry disinfection also need to be assessed critically from an environmental and health perspective. The biocidal active ingredients frequently used are quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs). Due to their incomplete biodegradability, they can end up in sewage sludge and water sediments.
QACs sometimes accumulate on textile fibers during washing. This means that residues can be carried into the living environment via the treated laundry and come into contact with the skin. Some of these substances also have sensitizing or irritating properties.
These possible burdens are often not offset by sufficient additional hygiene benefits when used routinely. Disinfecting laundry can be useful in certain cases, for example when laundry is contaminated with infections or when it cannot be treated with a sufficiently effective washing process. For ordinary household laundry, however, the regular use of hygiene detergents is usually not necessary.
Surfaces in the household should also not be routinely disinfected. Under normal conditions, proper cleaning, consistent hand hygiene, regular ventilation and hygienic handling of food are usually sufficient.
Targeted disinfection measures may be justified in special situations, for example:
- for certain highly contagious diseases in the household,
- in the event of a specific contamination being detected,
- in people with severely weakened immune systems or
- upon medical or hygienist recommendation.
In such cases, the agent used and the disinfection process must be tailored to the area of application and the pathogen to be combated.
The study comes to the conclusion that routine disinfection in the household without a specific hygienic necessity cannot be expected to provide additional health protection. Rather, it can cause avoidable pollution for people and the environment. Disinfectants should therefore be used specifically and only when there is a justified hygienic need.