Reckitt Benckiser's Lysol disinfectant has just received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be legally used in killing the novel coronavirus on surfaces. While the EPA has listed more than 400 products that are effective in killing the SARS-CoV-2 virus, this is the first time that the agency has laboratory-tested a product's actual efficacy.
The EPA approval essentially means that Lysol will be the first brand to publicly claim that its product is safe and effective in killing the coronavirus on surfaces based on lab tests. This will be a boon to the brand as it can use the approval to promote its product through its advertisements and promotions.
On Monday, the EPA disclosed that it had successfully tested two specific Lysol products, namely Lysol Disinfectant Spray and Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist. Before a company or a product can legally advertise its efficacy against a certain pathogen, it would need to acquire authorization from the EPA.
EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler mentioned in a statement that the agency plans to immediately conduct similar tests on other products. He added that the EPA is committed to identifying the best tools and products to help the public better protect themselves and their families from the coronavirus pandemic.
Despite giving its seal of approval, the EPA warned that consumers will still need to read the product's labels for proper and safe use. Users will need to closely adhere to all warnings on the labels to avoid any accidents. For disinfecting surfaces against the coronavirus, users will have to implement the right contact time or the amount of time a surface needs to be wet, for specific applications.
At the start of the pandemic earlier in the year, Lysol became one of the hottest commodities along with items such as face masks, rubbing alcohol and other cleaning and disinfecting products. Lysol products flew from store shelves in the early days of the outbreak, leading to a nationwide shortage.
Grocery stores and pharmacies were even forced to implement purchase limits as people attempted to stockpile the products.
Reckitt Benckiser's North American executive vice president, Rahul Kadyan, mentioned in a statement that the company is continuing to work with relevant agencies to educate the public on the proper hygiene and effective means of protecting themselves against the disease. He added that the company is also conducting its own tests to identify ingredients that are effective against killing the coronavirus on different surfaces.
