by Freedonia Industry Studies
March 11, 2020
On Monday March 9, Apple issued new guidance for how to clean its devices. The statement notes that 70% isopropyl alcohol wipes or Clorox Disinfecting Wipes can be used on the hard nonporous surfaces (e.g., display, keyboard, and other exterior surfaces). The company cautioned not to submerge the products or allow moisture to get into any openings.
Infection prevention specialists have long noted that smartphones and other such hand-held devices are germ magnets since people carry them with them all the time, pass them among other people, and put them to their faces when making phone calls. As such, wiping down these and other commonly touched surfaces is good practice.
It is reported that wipes and other products that are effective at protecting against colds, flu, and other human coronaviruses are probably helpful against COVID-19 as well. The EPA generated a list of registered antimicrobial products for use against novel coronavirus SAR-CoV-2, the cause of COVID-19. It notes that the registration number, found on the product label, is the more important piece of information to look for when purchasing, since the antimicrobial agent might be used in a variety of products or sold under multiple brand names.
The Freedonia Group National Online Consumer Survey, conducted July-August 2019, found that women were more likely than men to have purchased any type of disposable wipe product at any point in the last 12 months. Women were far more likely to have bought a surface cleaning wipe product, but men had a slight edge on buying antibacterial skin cleaning wipes.
For more information, see The Freedonia Group’s Wipes, Industrial & Institutional Cleaning Chemicals, Global Disposable Medical Supplies, and US Disposable Medical Supplies reports.