Report: Consumer queries on whether household disinfectants kill the Ebola virus on the rise

NEW YORK — Consumers want to know: do disinfectant products like Reckitt Benckiser's Lysol or Clorox protect against the Ebola virus?

 

"Lysol products like Lysol Disinfectant Spray and the other products listed here are approved as hospital-grade disinfectants and though not specifically tested to kill the Ebola virus, based on their ability to kill similar as well as harder to kill viruses, these products are likely to be effective against the Ebola virus," Reckitt Benckiser has posted on Lysol's web page. 

 

In a similar post, Clorox on its website wrote: "The CDC and other leading health organizations are recommending the use of EPA-registered disinfectants for surface disinfection in hospital settings to help prevent the spread of the Ebola virus. Household disinfectants such as Clorox Regular-Bleach and Clorox Disinfecting Wipes meet the criteria currently recommended by the CDC for hospitals." 

 

According to a CNNMoney report published Wednesday, both Reckitt Benckiser and Clorox have been buying Google search terms related to Ebola to help drive traffic to those sites. "We have seen an exponential increase in the number of queries we get from consumers," Patty O'Hayer, spokeswoman for Reckitt Benckiser, told CNNMoney. "They want to know if our claim that Lysol kills 99% of all germs applies to Ebola."