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Want to disinfect your home? LIPI recommends cleaning products as alternative disinfectants
Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) researchers said disinfectant solutions, including homemade ones, could kill the coronavirus because they destroyed the fat membrane of the virus.
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A Vietnamese health worker sprays disinfectant at the home of a traveler who recently returned from Europe as part of measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Hanoi, Vietnam on March 22, 2020. (REUTERS/James Pearson)
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praying disinfectant on frequently touched surfaces has been deemed an effective way to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as it can kill the coronavirus that causes the disease.
This has caused many people to hoard medical disinfectant products, leading to a lack of such products at medical centers treating COVID-19 patients.
Ajeng Arumsari, the head of the Indonesian Institute of Sciences’ (LIPI) hygiene technology research center, confirmed that disinfectants could be used to kill the virus.
“Disinfectants can destroy the fat membrane of the virus. It will weaken the coronavirus, which is weaker that other viruses, such as norovirus [which causes diarrhea], that have a stronger protein membrane,” Ajeng said in a statement.
Despite this, she added that the general public should stop hoarding such materials, as disinfectant solution was urgently needed by hospitals.
Read also: China battles virus spread with masks and disinfectant
LIPI researcher Chandra Risdian suggested a number of products containing active ingredients that are effective disinfectants and can be used to kill the coronavirus.
Here is a list of cleaning products that can be used as an alternative to medical disinfectant solutions:
The researcher added that any other product could be used to make a disinfectant solution, as long as it had the same active ingredients.
“Aside from using cleaning agents, disinfection can also be done through heating or steaming,” Chandra said.
Read also: Homemade hand sanitizer recipes that could help protect against coronavirus
For prevention purposes, Chandra also suggested using soap or detergent and water aside from the mentioned products to disinfect or clean surfaces, including tables, door handles, electric switches, phones, toilets, faucets and sinks.
He urged people to carefully read the information labels upon using disinfectants solutions.
“Do not mix different products and only use them in rooms with proper ventilation. Do not spray directly onto contaminated surfaces as it could cause the virus to disperse into the air,” he said. (kuk)
