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What is the Difference Between 99.9% and 99.999% Germ Kill Rate?

If you look at any bottle of antibacterial, disinfectant or sanitiser, you will see '99.9% Bacteria & Viruses Killed' or 'Proven to kill 99.999% of germs and bacteria' on the label. But what does this mean?

Cleaning & Janitorial News

1 min read

May 2, 2024

For the latter statement to be applied, the product has been tested and passes BS EN 1276: Proof of bactericidal efficacy. It is a laboratory suspension test that tests the effectiveness of a product at killing bacteria in a test tube. For a pass, the product must kill 99.999% of bacteria within 5 minutes; this is evaluated by counting live cells under a microscope.

How does this affect your choice of disinfectant? Look at our info-graphic to see the difference.