消毒产品有保质期吗

We may be more inclined to stock up on disinfecting products now more than ever. This is especially true as we get closer to the cold and flu season this winter. However, experts warn that disinfecting products do in fact have a shelf life, and buying more than we can use before they expire may not be a great idea. That's because cleaning products lose potency after they expire. In fact, some disinfectants have shown a 20% decrease in potency after 6 months (via Martha Stewart).

我们现在可能比以往任何时候都更倾向于储备消毒产品。这一点在冬天的感冒和流感季节来临前尤为明显。然而，专家警告说，消毒产品实际上是有保质期的，在过期前购买超过我们使用量的产品可能不是一个好主意。这是因为清洁产品在过期后会失去效力。事实上，一些消毒剂在6个月后的效力会下降20%。

This may be fine for cleaning surfaces that aren't touched frequently, but for surfaces like door handles, common area countertops, and refrigerators, it can mean germs survive the cleaning process and increase our risk of viral infections. While disinfectants remain on the low end of the expiration spectrum, other products, like glass cleaners, can last closer to 2 years. In any case, it's good to check bottles for expiration dates and properly dispose of any past their prime. If bottles don't have expiration dates, there are general rules of thumb you can follow.

对于清洁不经常接触的表面可能没问题，但对于门把手、公共区域的台面和冰箱等表面，这可能意味着细菌在清洁过程中仍然存活，增加了我们感染病毒的风险。虽然消毒剂的有效期比较短，但其他产品，如玻璃清洁剂，可以使用近2年。在任何情况下，检查瓶子的有效期并妥善处理任何过期的瓶子都是有益的。如果瓶子没有保质期，你可以遵循一些一般的经验法则。

Bleach has one of the shortest shelf lives, which may sound surprising considering how potent it is. However, bleach can degrade as early as 6 months after opening and lose 20% efficacy every year after (via Well+Good). Most multi-surface cleaners can work for up to 2 years, but if they contain an antibacterial agent, their shelf life can be cut in half (via Good Housekeeping).

考虑到使用效力，漂白剂的保质期是最短的，听起来可能有些令人惊讶。事实上，漂白剂在打开后6个月就会降解，并且在打开后每年会失去20%的功效。大多数多表面清洁剂可以使用长达2年，但如果它们含有抗菌剂，其保质期就会缩短一半。

Alcohol-based sanitizers can decrease in effectiveness over time due to the fact that alcohol evaporates when it's exposed to air. For alcohol-based disinfectants, in particular, alcohol concentrations less than 42.6% were found to be far less effective in killing viruses like the coronavirus, Ebola virus, Zika virus, influenza A and B, and herpes simplex viruses 1 and 2 (via Medical News Today). This also applies to disinfectant personal care products, like hand sanitizer. It's important to note that homemade mixtures or dilutions of any disinfectant products should be used immediately, as the disinfectant properties can lose their effectiveness as quickly as one day.

由于酒精暴露在空气中会蒸发，酒精类消毒剂的效力会随着时间的推移而降低。特别是对于酒精类消毒剂，发现酒精浓度低于42.6%的消毒剂在杀死冠状病毒、埃博拉病毒、寨卡病毒、甲型和乙型流感以及单纯疱疹病毒1和2等病毒方面的效果要差得多。这也适用于消毒个人护理产品，如洗手液。值得注意的是，自制的混合物或任何消毒剂产品的稀释液，应立即使用，因为这类消毒剂可能会在一天内失去效力。