The Dangers of Overusing Disinfectant Wipes (and What to Use Instead)

Does anyone else have any lingering habits from the COVID pandemic? Good or bad, many of us still cling to them. The habit I still haven’t shaken is microwaving my cold cuts before consumption, but I’m betting using disinfectant wipes for everything might be more common.

When I’m not writing for Family Handyman, I’m a nurse with a Master’s in Public Health, so I could go on and on about this topic. The truth that comes as a surprise to many is that disinfectant wipes are mostly a no-go for everyday usage.

Stick with me, and I’ll gently and factually discuss the dangers of disinfectant wipes, when they are actually OK to use and how to use them. I’ve got a fantastic expert source who will offer a clever, budget-friendly, and public health nurse-approved method for cleaning up messes.

What Are Disinfectant Wipes?

Disinfectant wipes are single-use, premoistened, chemical-soaked towels meant for killing pathogens. Most manufacturers will instruct you to wipe them onto a surface and leave them to dry for a specific amount of time. Essentially, they kill the crud on your countertops.

“Disinfectant” is not a dynamic marketing term, but a designation made by the EPA that indicates the extent to which a product applied to a non-living surface can kill bacteria and viruses. Within the disinfectant category, there are more specific list levels, and any bacteria or virus that the disinfectant has proven effective against, according to the EPA’s testing standard, must be listed on their packaging.

Types of Cleaning Products

Here’s a breakdown of some of the terms you’ll see on the packaging of cleaning products and who’s responsible for what in the U.S.

Non-living surfaces (not your body)

1. Cleaners: remove dirt and pathogens, not registered or regulated by the EPA
2. Sanitizers: kill bacteria, not viruses, registered with the EPA
3. Disinfectants: kill bacteria and viruses, registered with the EPA

Living surfaces (your body)

1. Hand sanitizer: meant for hands, not regulated by FDA
2. Antiseptics: considered antimicrobial drugs, regulated by FDA

Downsides of Overusing Disinfectant Wipes

Disinfectant’s Effect on Your Body

Chemicals, chemicals, chemicals! Disinfectants are meant for non-living surfaces; however, contacting them with your living surface is nearly impossible without a whole ridiculous outfit. I’m talking about respirators, gloves, and goggles. Seriously, who’s doing that? Frequent, extended, and/or long-term exposure to these types of chemicals can cause a lot of bad things to your skin, your lungs, your tummies, and your kids. Examples of these are allergies, asthma (particularly in children) and other reproductive issues. Many of these disinfectants also contain chemicals or release byproducts that are associated with certain types of cancers.

Disinfectant’s Effect on The Planet

Waste. Disinfectant wipes come in plastic bags or tubs, and they’re meant to be single-use, which creates more plastic waste.

Resistant pathogens. Resistant pathogens are when germs develop the ability to survive despite exposure to drugs or chemicals designed to kill them. This has long been a concern in the U.S., wherein we are having increasing numbers of cases of resistant pathogens such as MRSA, which is a multi-drug resistant staph infection that can often hospitalize folks – or worse. These resistant pathogens are correlated with the overuse or misuse of products like disinfectants and antibiotics. In the healthcare field, it is becoming more and more difficult to combat these resistant pathogens, so one small thing we can do in our daily lives is to lessen the frequency of disinfectant use.

Disinfectant’s Effect on Your Wallet

Cost: Organic food, farm-fresh eggs, and literally every time you try to avoid plastics, it all adds up. This is one of those win-win situations where the more “responsible” choice is also more budget-friendly and convenient. Reuse a cotton cloth or microfiber, make or buy cleaners instead of disinfectants, and don’t spend your hard-earned money on unnecessary, single-use, toxic chemicals to clean your home.

One might say that disinfectant wipes are like bringing a gun to a knife fight, and those guns get expensive and someone could get hurt.

Alternatives to Disinfectant Wipes

For this question, I reached out to expert John O’Brien, owner of Green Maids Cleaning, a company that prides itself in eco-safe, hypoallergenic cleaning services. “Worried about the chemicals in traditional disinfectant wipes or tired of their single-use waste? Don’t sweat it—go green!

Make your own reusable disinfectant cloths by cutting up cotton fabric into squares (old t-shirts work great!) and soaking them in a super simple, eco-friendly solution: 1 cup of distilled water, 1/2 cup of white vinegar, and 10 drops of lemon essential oil. Pop them in a sealed container, and you’re ready to wipe away messes with a clean, green wipe!”

Is it Ever Okay to Use a Disinfectant Wipe?

For all of the reasons listed above, disinfectant wipes are almost always not the best option. However, there are rare and very specific instances in which I might consider them for my home. One is if I suspect a pathogen has found its way onto a trafficked surface and I have a vulnerable or immunosuppressed visitor scheduled within enough time for the fume to dissipate but not enough time for me to bust out the steamer.

For example, let’s say my son’s friend does a yucky sneeze all over the countertop just before he gets picked up. Great Grandma is coming to visit in 90 minutes, and in the interim, we will have to run an errand. I might consider a quick disinfectant wipe (according to manufacturer’s instructions), run the errand, and then water wipe the counter after we return from the errand and before anyone could touch the counter.

Nearly every other circumstance warrants a non-toxic choice of cleaner like the option John described.

About the Experts

John O’Brien is the owner of Green Maids Cleaning, LLC. Green Maids Cleaning has been serving Southern Maine, the Seacoast of New Hampshire and the North Shore of Massachusetts since 2009.

Sources

• EPA: What’s the difference between products that disinfect, sanitize, and clean surfaces? (2024)
• StatPearls: Disinfectants (2022)
• CDC: Regulatory Framework for Disinfectants and Sterilants (2008)
• CDC: About Antimicrobial Resistance (2024)
• Ecotoxology and Environmental Safety: Exposure to Disinfetion By-products and Risk of Cancer: A Systemic Review and Dose-response Meta-analysis (2024)