10 Things You Shouldn't Use Disinfecting Wipes On

Not all surface wipes are created equal, y’all.

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One of my favorite parts of my day is closing my kitchen. Once dinner has been eaten and my cast-iron skillet has been cleaned, it’s time to shut things down for the day. Yes, I could reach for my preferred household spray, but more often than not, I grab a cleansing wipe. A few smell-good swipes and a lit candle later, I am headed to the living room to catch up on my favorite mindless television shows.

As things go, this cleaning method has spilled beyond the kitchen, and I find a disinfecting wipe to be my go-to cleanser. No surface or tchotchke is safe. My one-swipe routine has left me wondering, however, if there are things I shouldn’t be using disinfecting wipes on. To answer the question, I turned to someone with a pinch more experience than I have. Read on to see what he had to say.

Dean F. Tansman is the Vice President of Operations for Dutch Harbor Brands & A World of Wipes. The company, headquartered in Florida, produces Wipex®.

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Tansman cautions that disinfecting wipes cannot be used on everything due to materials and makeup. While a wipe might seem like the easiest solution, it might not be the best one. Avoid the following surfaces:

Tansman adds that proper disinfection requires surfaces to stay wet during the contact time specified on the label—often 15–30 seconds. "If you look at the fine print on the label of your average disinfecting wipe, you will find that you must thoroughly rinse any surface that touches food afterward with potable water to avoid ingesting leftover chemicals," he says.

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According to Tansman, surface wipes often all get lumped into one category, even though they shouldn’t be. There are some major differences between disinfecting wipes and cleaning wipes. "One common misunderstanding is that all wipes disinfect," he says. A disinfecting wipe, by definition, works to kill a broad range of pathogens, while cleaning wipes are simply formulated to remove dirt and grime effectively.

"There’s a misconception that disinfecting means cleaning when in fact, visibly dirty surfaces must be cleaned first for disinfectants to work effectively," says Tansman. "It’s crucial to use the right wipe for the right task and avoid unnecessary overuse of disinfectants."

Disinfecting wipes are not always the answer. Tansman explains that in most cases, we should be using a cleaner, not a disinfectant. It might be easy to reach for any old pack of wipes, but the truth is they can be harmful to some surfaces, and therefore, our health. "Using disinfecting wipes has its place," he says. "But overusing them or using them on the wrong surfaces may create more problems than they solve. It’s all about choosing the right tool for the job and reserving disinfectants for high-risk areas where they’re truly needed."