Infected people release droplets and aerosols that carry these viruses. They land on surfaces and can linger there for a long time.
Disinfecting surfaces regularly can reduce, or even eliminate, these microbes, so they find it harder to jump from one person to the next. It matters most in crowded places and wherever transmission risk is high. Wiping it on with a cloth keeps it out of the air. Whether HOCl is safe to breathe is disputed.
To make your own, see hocl.love (opens in a new tab).
Your hands count too: soap and water can trim your odds of a respiratory illness.
Light can disinfect too. Far UV-C lamps clean a room’s air while people are in it, with no chemical to breathe.
Not all “germs” are bad
Microbes come in many forms, some helpful and some harmful. Harmful viruses and bacteria (“bugs”) deserve caution, but not every microbe is a bug.
Strong chemicals on surfaces or on your body can kill the helpful microbes along with the harmful ones.
Fortunately, our bodies have evolved their own natural, non-toxic disinfectant.