Most of us now have a "learn-as-we-use" mentality when it comes to using new products. This is an outgrowth of technologies such as computers, smartphones, and tablets — typically their "operating manual" offers little information beyond how to turn the machine on and off.
 
But reading labels in professional cleaning is imperative, not only for the user's health, but to protect the health of people and the planet. And some of the most important labels to read are those on disinfectants.
 
Kaivac, manufacturers of the No-Touch Cleaning and OmniFlex cleaning systems, suggests that cleaning pros know what the following terms mean when reading the label on a disinfectant:
 
Limited Efficacy: This term means the disinfectant is effective against specific microorganisms

Broad-Spectrum: Also called "General-Purpose," it means the disinfectant is effective against a wide range of microorganisms
 
Hospital or Medical Environment: The disinfectant is effective in eliminating many nosocomial (hospital acquired) pathogens
 
One-step cleaner: A one-step disinfectant has been tested in the presence of soil, and if effective, means the disinfectant can be used to both clean and disinfect a surface; pre-cleaning may still be needed if the surface is heavily soiled

EPA-Registered: A disinfectant may not make efficacy claims against pathogens unless the Environmental Protection Agency has reviewed and approved data to support them
 
Other information a user is likely to find on a disinfectant label includes:
 • Active ingredients
 • Inert (inactive) ingredients
 • Dilution instructions
 • Dwell time
 • A precautionary statement
 • First aid information
 • "Under certain conditions" means the disinfectant may or may not be effective based on bacterial count on a surface; the location of the microorganisms, (e.g. flat surfaces, crevices, or cracks); temperature, humidity, water hardness, etc.

"Historically, one of the problems cleaning pros have had reading product labels is that they can vary as to how the information is presented," says John Richter, technical director at Kaivac. "But as a result of the global harmonizing initiatives, the format should now be the same making them easier to read and understand."