2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and PVC
Given the ever-changing situation surrounding the 2019 novel coronavirus (COVID-19), we wanted to provide our customers some of the procedures, benefits and methods to disinfect any existing Furniture Grade PVC assemblies and you may be using in your home or business on a daily basis.
Furniture Grade PVC is a non-porous plastic. Therefore it is easily cleaned and disinfected as biological material cannot enter the plastic itself. Furniture Grade PVC has been widely used in the medical furniture industry for well over 20 years and is interchangeable with the terms 'Medical Grade PVC' or 'Healthcare Grade PVC'.
During the SARS outbreak in 2011, The National Institutes of Health (NIH) performed a non-peer reviewed study that indicated the SARS coronavirus infection can survive on most plastics surfaces for up to two (2) days. This applies to ABS, PLA, PET and other plastics but does not have the same guidance for PVC plastics.
Furniture Grade PVC products are exceptionally easy to be made safe for everyday use to minimize any risk of cross-infection. With little effort, you can follow these few steps on cleaning and disinfecting your PVC products:
Cleaning Furniture Grade PVC
To clean Furniture Grade PVC plastics, use a soft cloth and wash with soap and warm water or use a non-abrasive cleaner on all parts of the PVC Pipe and fitting elements. If exposed or considered a 'high-touch' surface, the interior of the pipe and fitting elements can also be cleaned in the same manner.
Disinfecting Furniture Grade PVC
Following CDC guidelines, disinfection of Furniture Grade PVC plastics should be performed after an initial cleaning to maximize effectiveness. Apply spray disinfectant (Lysol™, Pine-Sol™ or other brand) to the same surfaces that have been cleaned, or use disinfecting wipes on the PVC surfaces.
References:
K. H. Chan, The Effects of Temperature and Relative Humidity on the Viability of the SARS Coronavirus, Published online 2011 Oct 1
Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection Recommendations, Published online 2020 Mar 1