High-Level Disinfection

High-level disinfection kills all micro-organisms (bacteria, fungi, and viruses) except bacterial spores.

When to Use

  • Use on semi-critical items.
  • Use on items that come into contact with non-intact skin or mucous membranes but do not penetrate them.

Remember the following:

  • the solution must be made fresh daily to preserve strength
  • the bottle must be labelled
  • clean before applying the disinfectant
  • follow the contact time
  • household bleach is 5.25% sodium hypochlorite solution (50,000ppm available chlorine)

Active ingredients for this high-level disinfectant

  • 1:10 chlorine bleach solution
  • 1 part bleach and 9 parts water
  • 5,000 ppm (parts per million)

Immersion contact times (approximate)

  • 10 minutes

Advantages

  • Inexpensive
  • Fast-acting

Disadvantages

  • Extremely corrosive to metal
  • May destroy adhesives with prolonged soaking
  • Solution is to be made daily
  • Inactivated by organic material

Active ingredient of this high-level disinfectant

  • 6% hydrogen peroxide

Immersion contact times (approximate)

  • 45 minutes
  • Follow manufacturer’s instructions

Advantages

  • Not corrosive
  • Environmentally  friendly
  • No residue

Disadvantages

  • Oxidizing properties may be destructive to some equipment (brass, zinc, copper and nickel/ silver).

Active ingredient of this high-level disinfectant

  • 7% stabilized hydrogen peroxide

Immersion contact times (approximate)

  • 30 minutes
  • Follow manufacturer’s Instructions

Advantages

  • Environmentally friendly
  • No residual irritant to skin or to respiratory tract

Disadvantages

  • Oxidizing properties may be destructive to some equipment (brass, zinc, copper and nickel/ silver).

More information

Print versions available upon request in the following languages

For a copy of this document in the following languages, please email us at BodySafe@toronto.ca

  • 中文 / Chinese
  • 한국어 / Korean
  • Tiếng Việt / Vietnamese