Clorox Disinfecting Wipes – Do they clean well in the office?
Written: Apr 18 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: convenient, container keeps wipes moist, wipes are durable, Clorox kills bacteria
Cons: doesn't clean deep dirt or stains, some might find wipes small for cleaning large surfaces
The Bottom Line: The Bottom Line spilled its drink, and these wipes cleaned it up in a jiff. Now let’s talk about that stubborn dirt ...
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| dlstewart's Full Review: Clorox Disinfecting Wipes - All Scents |
Everyone at work has been ill with a virus that keeps doing a loop around the office. I noticed that our cleaning supply closet had a container of Clorox Disinfecting Wipes in the green canister marked “Fresh Scent – Bleach Free”. Sounded like a good way to disinfect my work area!
Description
The round plastic container stands 8" tall with a 3 3/8" diameter. The cap has a flip top opening where the wipes feed through a hole. There are 35 wet wipes in the canister, and each wipe measures 7" x 8". The wipes are white and constructed of a durable material that is rip resistant.
These wipes are designed to clean most hard, non-porous surfaces. The manufacturer states the product will not harm acrylic, fiberglass, or vinyl. They should not be used on unpainted wood.
These Clorox wipes come in several varieties: Fresh Scent and Lemon. The Fresh Scent comes in green packaging, while the Lemon comes in yellow packaging. Clorox also makes Bathroom Wipes with Teflon (the Teflon invisibly coats surfaces to keep dirt from sticking).
Getting Started
I read all the instructions on the package before cleaning with these wipes. The instructions said “not for cleaning or sanitizing skin”, “causes moderate eye irritation” ... and “wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling”. That’s when I decided to wear a pair of cleaning gloves before touching this product. I didn’t want to risk irritation to my sensitive skin.
The first thing I had to do was remove the cap on the top of the container. The wipes do not come threaded through the hole in the cap. I had to locate the last wipe on the roll (in the center of the roll of wipes in the canister) and thread the edge of the wipe through the hole in the cap. This is a bit awkward to do. The first two wipes on the roll want to feed through the hole at the same time.
Once the first two wipes are threaded and removed through the hole, the rest of the wipes fed out one at a time. Each wipe has a perforated line, separating one wipe from its neighbor. The wipes easily break free from one another, leaving the top of the next wipe protruding a bit from the hole. The flip-top lid on the cap completely covers the bit of wipe sticking out of the hole. The closed cap also keeps these wipes moist inside the container.
Cleaning!
Using these wipes is easy. Each wipe is sized just right to fit in the hand. Some people might find the wipes a bit small if they are cleaning large surfaces. The Fresh Scent of the wipes in the green canister is pleasant without being obtrusive. I also like the fact that they are bleach-free so that I don’t have to worry about bleach stains on clothing ... or accidentally cleaning something that the bleach might harm.
Note the manufacturer says that to disinfect hard, non-porous surfaces, to clean the surface so that it remains wet for 5 minutes. To sanitize and deodorize hard, non-porous surfaces, the surface must remain wet for 30 seconds.
My Desk
I first ran the wipe over my black telephone. The phone easily cleaned. I had a small yellow Post-it Note on the phone, which was sticking fine before the cleaning. Now it is peeling off. The desk, adding machine, computer printer and keyboard also cleaned well. The wipe left no streaks. However, the wipe only pushed around the dust (trapped beneath cords around the printer and monitor). I had to scoop and trap the dust into the wipe since the wipe just wanted to move the dust around the surfaces.
Tables & Shelving Unit
There are two tables near my area that I use. One holds stacks of papers and labels and is a general work table. The other table contains two paper cutters and an electric hole punch. Using the Clorox wipes was a snap. The granite-look resin tabletop that holds my stacks of papers cleaned well. The other table is older with a putty-color laminate top. This table has a lot of old stains on it, including an old coffee ring from a cup. The Clorox wipe cleaned the surface dirt but did not touch the stains. Again, no streaks were left by the cloth.
I have a metal multi-shelf unit near my desk that serves as a bookcase and storage area. The wipes did an excellent job of cleaning the unit, leaving no streaks on the metal. However, once again, where the wipe encountered dust, the wet cloth pushed the dust around.
The Kitchen
Wanting to give a thorough review, I moved my cleaning spree into the kitchen. With everyone in the office being sick, I figured it couldn’t hurt to disinfect commonly touched surfaces. First I tackled the refrigerator handle. We have a full-size fridge in the kitchen, and it has a textured surface. As you can imagine, the refrigerator handle sees a lot of use. Disappointing, the Clorox wipes failed to clean the dirt from the textured surface. The refrigerator handle looked as though I had not cleaned it.
The wipes did a good job of polishing the kitchen faucet and handles. The stainless steel sink looked the same after using the wipes, no noticeable difference. Counter tops and laminate cabinets cleaned well with no streaking.
I also tackled the plastic kitchen trash can that looked as if it had not been cleaned in a month. These wipes removed coffee splatters from the plastic edges. However, the wipes did not remove much of the dirt smudges.
I ran into trouble cleaning the Panasonic microwave and Black & Decker toaster oven. The wipes are supposed to clean appliance exteriors and did well on the top and sides of these units. However, cleaning the front of these two appliances caused streaks on the glass-like surfaces. The Panasonic microwave has a large smoke-colored front window. After using the Clorox wipe, I had to reclean the window with water and dry with a paper towel since the wipe left noticeable streaks and spots. The Black & Decker toaster oven has a smaller clear glass window. While there were no spots, the window did streak a bit. To be fair, even though the package says this product can be used to clean appliance exteriors, it says nothing about cleaning glass.
The Bathroom
This shows my devotion to my Epinions reviews. I hate cleaning bathrooms! Wielding a container of Clorox wipes, I plunged through the bathroom door to clean. This particular bathroom has two ceramic sinks, and each sink has different chrome faucets with handles. The bathroom also has three stalls with toilets. The Clorox wipes easily cleaned the counters, sinks and faucets. The faucets had some built-up grime around the handles that the wipes would not clean. The wipes did a great job of cleaning the stall doors and latches. They also cleaned the outside toilet surfaces, which were not stained, and even removed built-up lint from the toilet paper holder.
The instructions do not say this product cleans mirrors. However, the bathroom mirror had a spot on it ... so I swiped it with the Clorox wipe. After cleaning the rest of the bathroom, I looked at the mirror and saw the spot remained and that all the wipe had done was create a big smear across the mirror. I washed the mirror with water and dried it with a paper towel, and the smear disappeared. However, the spot still remains.
Cautions
The Clorox Disinfecting Wipe package is filled with precautions. Here is a rundown of them:
* Keep out of reach of children
* Hazard to humans and domestic animals
* Not for cleaning or sanitizing skin
* Do not use as a diaper wipe or for personal cleansing
* Causes moderate eye irritation
* Wash thoroughly with soap and water after handling
* Do not use or store near open flame
* Do not flush wipes; throw them in the trash after use
* Tightly close lid when finished using to retain moisture
* Do not reuse empty container (it is recyclable)
First Aid
If product gets into eyes, flush with plenty of water and call a doctor if irritation continues. If the product is on the skin, wash with plenty of soap and water and see a doctor if irritation continues.
Ingredients & Claims
Active Ingredients: n-Alkyl (C14, 60%; C16, 30%; C12, 5%; C18, 5%) Dimethyl Benzyl Ammonium Chloride...0.145% – n-Alkyl (C12, 68%; C14, 32%) Dimethyl Ethylbenzyl Ammonium Chloride...0.145% – Other Ingredients...99.710%
The manufacturer says these Clorox wipes kill 99.9% of bacteria in 30 seconds. This product disinfects against: Klebsiella pneumonia, Staphylococcus aureus (Staph), Escherichia coli 0157:H7 (E. Coli), Streptococcus pyogenes
Purchasing
Clorox Disinfecting Wipes are available in many of my local stores. My neighborhood grocery store sells each container of 35 wipes for $3.69. Drugstore.com sells both types of the wipes for $3.99 a container.
If you are interested in trying the Clorox Bathroom Wipes with Teflon, a container of 32 wipes sells at Staples for $4.99.
Summary
I wear gloves while using this product. In my experience, these Clorox Disinfecting Wipes do well on hard surfaces that do not require deep cleaning. They pick up surface dirt and are good for fresh spills. They do an okay job of polishing chrome faucets, but do not expect them to clean any grime or grease build-up. The wipes are constructed of a sturdy material that did not rip while cleaning. Also, the wipes did not deposit lint or residue when I used them.
Would I buy them for use in my home? No. These wipes did not clean well enough for me to be happy using them in my home. However, they were nice to have on hand in the office to help protect my area from the office germs spreading among coworkers.
I hope you found this review useful.
Enjoy your day,
Dawn
http://dlstewart.com
Additional Information
The Clorox Company
Oakland, CA 94612
Toll-free Phone # 800-227-1860
Please read my other reviews:
Windex Wipes for Glass & Surface
Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Duo
Mr. Clean Magic Reach Starter Kit
Ultra Dawn Dishwashing Soap – Apple Blossom scent
GE Refrigerator with Top Freezer
Black & Decker 4-slice Toaster Oven
Ott Lite Flex-Arm Plus True Color Lamp
Acco Electric 3-Hole Punch
Stanley Contemporary Electric Pencil Sharpener
Curtis Radio/CD Portable Boombox
Liteon LVW-5005 DVD Player/Recorder
Canon PowerShot A400 Digital Camera
Copyright 2005 Dawn L. Stewart
Recommended:
Yes
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