I saw a spray can of disinfectant air freshener in the supermarket this week, carrying the bold statement, “Kills common cold and flu viruses.” Can this be true? It seems a rather grand claim to make.
I’ve tracked down the air freshener you’re referring to. While you might have thought it was claiming to eradicate airborne viruses, that is not the case. The tiny print on the can points out that it will kill 99.9% of cold and flu viruses on hard surfaces like door handles and telephones. It can also terminate bacteria on soft surfaces, such as curtains and furniture.
But spraying it in the air will only kill odours. In other words, products like these should be used as a disinfectant on hard and soft surfaces, and an air freshener when sprayed around the room.
It doesn’t kill airborne viruses, which is what you no doubt assumed when you saw an aerosol can claiming to wipe out common cold and flu viruses. That would be great, but a leading virologist I spoke to doubted that any aerosol spray could do such a thing.
It wouldn’t be concentrated enough. This all goes to show how important it is to read the small print on products.
The “headlines” seldom tell the whole story.
Do you have a consumer question for Kevin? Email [email protected], or post to Weekly Consumer, PO Box 90119, Victoria St West, Auckland 1142.
