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August, 7 2025

What is the Best Disinfection Method? 

With every passing day, the conversation around disinfection solutions grows increasingly important – specifically, the need for powerful, versatile, and safe solutions. While traditional methods have their place in every industry from research facilities to living spaces, decades of repeated use have begun to show the shortcomings in even the most trusted methods. In the face of these newly discovered shortfalls, advanced technologies are offering enhanced efficacy, safety, and efficiency are quickly emerging and gaining traction. These new innovations are also proving to shape the general landscape of best disinfection methods overall, with more viable options emerging to shape laboratory disinfectant best practices.

Redefining the Best Disinfection Methods 

Advanced disinfection technologies, such as SteraMist iHP, are redefining what constitutes the best disinfection methods across various industries. Their ability to quickly and effectively decontaminate spaces without damaging sensitive materials or leaving harmful residues makes them versatile solutions for:  

Healthcare Facilities: Hospitals, clinics, and ambulances benefit from rapid room turnover and efficacy against healthcare-associated infections (HAIs), where methods like manual cleaning are increasingly employed for terminal disinfection.  

Cleanrooms and Pharmaceutical Manufacturing: Maintaining sterile environments is critical, and automated solutions are needed to meet strict cGMP, GMP, and ISO standards for aseptic processing.  

Public Spaces: Schools, offices, and even transportation hubs can leverage advanced disinfection for comprehensive and efficient decontamination, enhancing public health and safety.  

Biosecurity Management: The portability and rapid deployment of some systems make them invaluable in outbreak situations or disaster recovery, offering quick and effective broad-area disinfection.  

Beyond Traditional: Understanding Lab Disinfection Technologies

Precision and sterility are non-negotiable in laboratories and selecting the best laboratory disinfectant must be done without compromise. Traditional disinfectants (like liquid chemicals) have long been a staple in some of the most well-known global laboratories but often come with limitations that go beyond human error, such as corrosivity, residue, and limited penetration. More complex solutions, such as vaporized hydrogen peroxide and Ethylene Oxide (EtO), have been touted as more “advanced” in comparison, yet each contain their own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP) 

Vaporized hydrogen peroxide systems leverage hydrogen peroxide as a sporicidal agent. Often in concentrations of 35% and higher, liquid hydrogen peroxide is vaporized into a gas and introduced into an enclosed space, circulating to reach surfaces and effectively inactivate microorganisms. Vaporized hydrogen peroxide offers broad-spectrum efficacy against microbes and spores with an ability to penetrate complex geometries yet typically requires specific environmental conditions. Vaporized hydrogen peroxide must maintain specific levels of temperature and humidity, resulting in longer cycle, contact, and aeration time, corroding certain materials if not properly managed. Specialized equipment and trained personnel are often needed, making it a more involved (yet robust) laboratory disinfectant.  

Ethylene Oxide (EtO)

Ethylene Oxide (EtO) is a gaseous chemical sterilant widely used for sterilizing heat-sensitive and moisture-sensitive medical devices and pharmaceutical products. By alkylating microbial proteins and nucleic acids, cellular metabolism and reproduction is disrupted. EtO is highly effective against all types of microorganisms, including spores, and can penetrate deeply into materials. However, as recent as 2016, EtO has officially been declared a known carcinogen, mutagen, and highly flammable, requiring strict safety protocols, specialized facilities for aeration and containment, and thorough ventilation to remove residual gas. Efforts to find safer alternatives are ongoing to mitigate impacts on human health and the environment.

SteraMist ionized Hydrogen Peroxide (iHP) Technology

An innovative approach to hydrogen peroxide-based disinfection, ionized Hydrogen Peroxide (iHP) technology stands out as one of the most promising answers to laboratory disinfectants and enhancing best practices. iHP utilizes a low concentration solution of 7.8% hydrogen peroxide, activated by a cold plasma arc to create a fine mist of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals. These radicals naturally occur in the Earth’s lower atmosphere and have proven incredibly effective at destroying microbes by damaging their cellular structures, providing a reduction of six-log (99.9999%) and greater on microorganisms including bacteria, viruses, and spores. iHP offers a wealth of advantages, including faster cycle times and reduced material compatibility concerns compared to traditional vaporized hydrogen peroxide due to its lower concentration and a unique delivery mechanism. 

Elevating Laboratory Disinfectant Best Practices 

Regardless of the chosen method, finding the right product for the specific challenge is the key challenge of navigating laboratory disinfectant best practices. This means ensuring proper contact time and prioritizing safety for personnel and equipment in a given area. Advanced disinfection technologies align often well with these principles to offer significant upgrades:  

Targeted & Broad-Spectrum Efficacy: While specific disinfectants might excel at eliminating a singular threat, advanced methods like iHP offer broad-spectrum efficacy, making them ideal general environmental disinfection prevent cross-contamination and maintain hygiene. EtO, while effective, is typically reserved for sterilization of specific products due to its inherent risks.  

Reduced Human Error: Automated systems and easily deployable units streamline disinfection protocols to ensure consistent application and minimized variables that can result in ineffective cleaning. This is particularly critical in maintaining sterile environments required for research and production.  

Enhanced Safety: While EtO presents significant safety challenges, systems such as iHP and vaporized hydrogen peroxide reduce direct exposure risks for lab personnel. The no-residue nature of iHP further enhances safety by eliminating the need for post-application wiping. 

Streamlined Protocols: With rapid kill times and often no need for post-application wiping or extensive aeration (compared to EtO), modern disinfection methods can simplify procedures to allow labs more focus on core research and development.  

The Future is Clear: Clean with Confidence 

The evolution of disinfection technology represents a significant leap forward in our ability to create and maintain truly clean environments. For laboratories, the careful consideration and implementation of advanced methods, informed by laboratory disinfectant best practices, are paramount for scientific integrity and personnel safety. As we continue to prioritize health and safety across all sectors, innovative solutions that enhance efficacy, reduce risk, and streamline protocols in these high-level environments can also serve at the forefront of everyday life, helping us achieve a truly clean and confident future.