WASHINGTON, D.C., USA — The multi-surface cleaner Pine-Sol has received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to kill coronavirus "on hard non-porous surfaces."
According to a press release from the cleaner, made by Clorox, it underwent testing from a third-party laboratory that proved its efficacy with "a 10-minute contact time on hard non-porous surfaces."
"We hope this new Pine-Sol kill claim will increase access to disinfectants that can help prevent the spread of COVID-19," Vice President and General Manager of Pine-Sol Chris Hyder said in the statement.
Pine-Sol joins a list of 494 products with emerging viral pathogens and human coronavirus claims for use against SARS-CoV-2.
A full list of products that meet EPA's criteria for fighting coronavirus can be found here.
When using any EPA-registered disinfectant, it recommends following the label directions and to "follow the contact time, which is the amount of time the surface should be visibly wet."
More than 6.7 million people in the U.S. have been diagnosed with COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University. More than 198,000 people have died.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms that clear up within weeks. But for others, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, the virus can cause severe symptoms and be fatal. The vast majority of people recover.