Surface Disinfectants

Green purchasing guidance for surface disinfectants (nonfood-contact surface sanitizers).

Required specifications

The following have been identified as green specifications relevant to the good/services as minimum mandatory requirements. These would not be part of a scored exhibit. If you are using the Washington state procurement manual templates, the following should be inserted in the relevant document that describes the product or performance requirements.

  • All surface disinfectants and sanitizers must be registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

  • All surface disinfectants must be on U.S. EPA’s List N: Disinfectants for Coronavirus (COVID-19).

  • All products cannot contain chlorine bleach, quaternary ammonium chloride compounds, orthophenylphenol or hydrochloric acid since they can cause or aggravate asthma.

Asthmagens & additional information

View asthmagens on the Association of Occupational and Environmental Clinics (AOEC) list.

  • See products with a G (Generally Accepted), Rs (Sensitizer), Rr (RADS), or Rrs (both) designation), except for food-contact surface sanitizers that may contain a combination of peroxyacetic acid and hydrogen peroxide (which is labeled as an asthmagen by the AOEC).

For more information on green cleaning and safer disinfectants, see the University of Washington School of Public Health Fact Sheet on Safer Cleaning, Sanitizing and Disinfecting Strategies to Prevent Infection Transmission.

Preferred specifications

The following have been identified as green specifications relevant to the goods/services as preferred specifications to be scored. These would be part of your evaluation. If you are using the Washington state procurement manual templates, the following should be inserted in the relevant document that is used for evaluation.

  • Surface disinfectants and nonfood-contact surface sanitizers contain only the following active ingredients because they are not linked to asthma:
    • Hydrogen peroxide 
    • Citric acid 
    • Ethanol  
    • Lactic acid 
    • Isopropanol 
    • Chitosan 
  • No use of disinfectants packaged in an aerosol container
  • Products that have earned the EPA’s Design for Environment label
  • Concentrated products packaged in a closed-loop container that does not allow access to the concentrate
  • Products that are free of fragrances and dyes

Laws, rules, and executive orders

These laws, rules, and executive orders are the basis for these specifications: