Disinfectants (Sanitizers)

Disinfection Protection

Means No Bug Infection

Sanitizer Test Strips

Buy Indigo® test strips, the brand you can trust for accuracy & technical support. Just click on a subcategory below to see the complete list. Great unit prices with up to 15% off on quantity and delivered costs that beat "free" shipping". Choose from 21 Indigo® test strips for your specific disinfection & sanitizing needs. All come with 100 test strips/vial and a minimum guaranteed 3 year shelf life. We provide full documentation provided on-line for every type of Indigo® sanitizer/disinfectant test strips including Certificates of Analysis & Stability & SDS Statements; Certificates of Conformance available on request. Optional next day delivery in any quantity of most items. Need help? Call us toll free at (877)-746-746-4764 for immediate assistance. Or e-mail your questions with 1 hour response typical during business hours, M-F, slightly longer on weekends. Still not convinced? Click on Description to read more.

Indigo® Disinfectant & Sanitizer Test Strips

We're a small business that's been on-line since 1994. We've been selling top-of-line, US made test strips since 2007 (Wayback formatting is a bit off).

What our Customers Say

(Real Reviews-Not AI Generated Fakes; Click on the name to view the source at Google.)

Roberta Vigil: Indigo Instruments defines the purpose for the test strips and places them in easy to recognize categories. They are also clear about what type/state of chlorine the strips test, which most sellers don’t make clear. The BONUS is the qty of strips in each vial (100 vs the typical 50), fast and consistently accurate all for a price that beats other sellers!

Ronald Rosenberg: I purchased Indigo Chlorine Test Strips 0-300ppm. The sales person I spoke with was excellent and I received the items exactly when she said I would. Best of all the product was excellent. There was a clear delineation of the colors on the test strip so you could differentiate the different ppm. I would definitely repurchase this item.

Preston West: Prices are very reasonable. I love the selection of educational products. I actually came to this website for practical purposes... It's so nice to have niche things like this outside of Amazon.

Helen Kees The quick and prompt service on my 0 to 10 ppm chlorine test strips is much appreciated. I loved the quality at a cost less than Amazon. But the real deal that drove me to leave a review was that I called back a week or so after receiving the product and asked for spec sheets requested by my organic inspector. I was treated like I had spent a million bucks and the info was at my fingertips within a minute. This kind of service is invaluable.

GoFloat Penticton: We have used hydrogen peroxide test strips from Indigo Instruments for years and they have been extremely dependable. The price is unbeatable, ordering is super simple and the product arrives quickly. Indigo Instruments went out of their way to confirm the test strips are adequate for use within our unique industry and were absolutely amazing to work with.... Thank you Indigo Instruments for being amazing. You've earned my business for life!

Chemically Curious?

Indigo® test strips for chemical sanitizers & disinfectants are an essential tool in the control of infectious microorganisms. They are approved for food & non-food contact surfaces such as handrails, dishes & cutlery in restaurants, hospitals, daycare, cruise ships and much more. Whether you need residual level sensitivity or high level for more robust applications, we have what you need.

Disinfectant chemical structure models

Disinfectant chemical structure models from Indigo® Instruments.
Counterclockwise, from top: benzalkonium; hypochlorite; hydrogen peroxide; chlorine dioxide; peracetic acid.

Indigo® sanitizer & disinfectant test strips are available in all ranges needed to confirm the correct dilution of typical commercially available disinfectant chemicals.

  1. Chlorine & Iodine: 6 ranges for chlorine, 1 iodine
  2. Chlorine Dioxide: 2 ranges
  3. Hydrogen Peroxide: 4 ranges
  4. Peracetic Acid: 4 ranges
  5. Quaternary Ammonium Chloride: 4 ranges

All come with a minimum guaranteed 3 year expiration so stock up & save. No one beats our 10+ price delivered to your door.

Sanitization vs Disinfection

These terms are often used interchangeably but in practice they are different. Disinfectants usually have greater efficacy against pathogens while most sanitizers target bacteria that cause foodborne illness. Disinfectants generally have broader killing capability to meet the needs of healthcare and education settings.

Sanitizers will reduce the number of Staphylococcus aureus and either Klebsiella pneumoniae or Enterobacter aerogenes bacteria by a factor of 10-3 or 99.9% but does not eliminate them. This is considered adequate for surfaces such as dishes, utensils, cutting boards, high chair trays as well as pacifiers & toys that children might put in their mouths.

Disinfectant chemicals can often be the same as sanitizers but are used at higher strength to ensure they will kill or inactivate bacteria, fungi and viruses or require a much longer exposure time. Using the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) definition, they can be a “substance, or mixture of substances, that destroys or irreversibly inactivates bacteria, fungi and viruses, but not necessarily their spores"

This greater effectiveness is desired for hard surfaces where the chance of transmitting the germ to others is likely. This can include diaper change tables, counter tops, door & cabinet handles, and toilets and other bathroom surfaces. Ideally, the disinfectant will leave an antimicrobial film that will have a longer term residual effect.

Disinfectants should be odorless or have a pleasant odor and be economical to use routinely. This generally means they are available as concentrates that can be diluted in water and are stable for extended periods.

Disinfectant Efficacy

A hard surface, non porous sanitizer is a chemical agent that should be able to kill 99.9% of infectious bacteria in 30 seconds. A disinfectant is a chemical agent that can destroy 99.999% of disease transmitting bacteria & other pathogenic microorganisms in under 10 minutes. In other words, a disinfectant, by definition, must have a higher killing capacity for pathogenic or vegetative bacteria than a sanitizer and meet a minimum inhibitory concentration. Typical target test organisms include bacterial strains of Aspergillus niger, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Enterococcus faecium & Staphylococcus aureus.

Indigo disinfectant test strips cover all the various concentration ranges of most germicides & help evaluate their product performance. This insures effective antimicrobial action for bactericidal effect & virus inactivation. Use them in conjunction with your semi-quantitative suspension tests for evaluating chemical agent effectiveness in food, industrial, domestic and institutional applications.

Efficacy Testing Standards
Field Europe US
Bactericidal activity (Antimicrobial) EN 1276, EN 14348, EN 13727, EN 1500, EN 1040, EN 1499 ASTM E2752, ASTM E2755, ASTM E1174, ASTM E1115, ASTM E2315
Fungicidal / yeasticidal activity EN 1650, EN 13624 ASTM E2613
Virucidal activity EN 14476 ASTM E1052

Disinfectant Validation

Disinfectant validation is required by the FDA to show broad spectrum antimicrobial efficacy in the pharmaceutical industry. Such disinfectant laboratory testing needs to determine biocidal effectiveness for qualification in a well designed cleaning program. Besides the chemicals themselves, the types of hard surface need to be carefully selected. In addition, test methods such as suspension vs surface testing are need to determine whether a 3 log10 reduction of vegetative bacteria or 2 log10 reduction of bacterial spores can be achieved in field trials.

A hard surface sanitizer is a chemical agent that should be able to kill 99.9% of infectious bacteria in 30 seconds. A disinfectant is a chemical agent that can destroy 99.999% of disease transmitting bacteria & other pathogens in under 10 minutes. In other words, a disinfectant, by definition, must have a higher killing capacity for pathogenic bacteria than a sanitizer.

Description More Information Technical Instructions/Safety FAQ
Chlorine Test Strips

Chlorine Test Strips
Hydrogen Peroxide Test Strips

Hydrogen Peroxide Test Strips
Quaternary Ammonium Disinfectant Compounds

Quat Test Strips
Peracetic Acid Test Strips

Peracetic Acid Test Strips
Chlorine Dioxide Test Strips

Chlorine Dioxide
More Information

General Disinfectant/Sanitizer Test Strip Specifications

  • fast response time-immediate to 20 seconds for most
  • easy to read, accurate color charts
  • white backing ensures best contrast color chart comparisons
  • stiff plastic support for dipping into tubes, gaps, etc.
  • 3 year minimum shelf life if kept tightly closed
  • Certificates of Conformance, Stability Statements & SDS data sheets on-line; Certificates of Analysis available on request.

 

Sanitizer/Disinfectant Test Strip Use Blogs

Technical

Lab Quantitative vs Semiquantitative Test Strip Results

Test strips are a fast & cheap way quick to ensure sanitizer/disinfectant chemicals are within the 10% accuracy (semiquantitative) range their intended use calls for. More expensive analytical methods such as gas & liquid chromatography, atomic absorption, mass spectrometry, cyclic voltammetry, titration, etc. are needed for accurate quantitative measurements that exceed the 0.5 mg/L to 1 mg/L (0.5 to 1 ppm) limits of the most sensitive test strips.

This limitation needs to be taken account when applied to routine field testing procedures. Regulations that call for 10ppm (10 mg/L) or less for quats & sulfites for example cannot be met with test strips. However, these guidelines are based on the amount of sulfite or quat dissolved in a 100mL sample. The amount found in a thin layer on a potato or knife or cutting board may have a sample size on the order of several µL which works out to parts per billion. Read our blog, Can 10ppm of Sulfite & Quat Really Mean Zero which explains this further.

Another issue can be expiration dates. 0-200ppm chlorine test papers or 0-50ppm iodine use the potassium iodide method and never go bad, We do include an expiration date on these but solely for stock rotation purposes. More complex test strips are packaged in desiccant lined bottles to extend shelf life & come with a guaranteed 3 year shelf life. However, time is not the real determining factor, so we wrote Test Strip Expiration Dates; Good Today, Dead Tomorrow? to explain further. Bottom line, don't toss out what may be perfectly good test strips based on dates alone.

Most people do their dilutions based on Americans units of teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, quarts & gallons. Actual government standards for concentration-dilution are all calculated in metric units though. So, if you know that 1 part per million (1 ppm) is the same as 1 mg/L or 0.001%, you can use our calculator to dilute your disinfectant chemicals or confirm your test strips are still good, no matter how old they are. If you have access to accurate volume measuring glassware such as a graduated cylinder & your chemical supplier provides you with a dated Certificate of Analysis, you can confidently prepare a calibration solution to check your test strips against. We go into more detail in another blog: Diluting Chlorine, Peroxide or Quat Sanitizers is Easy

Pros & Cons of Popular Disinfectants/Sanitizers

Chlorine and quaternary ammonium disinfectants sanitizers are by far the most popular in food preparation & general healthcare settings. The table below lists their pros & cons. Hydrogen peroxide use is more specialized for things like hot tubs, float tanks and contact lens cleaners where skin/eye sensitivity can be an issue.

Chlorine (sodium hypochlorite)

Pros

  • Effective on a wide variety of bacteria
  • Not affected by hard water
  • Generally inexpensive

Cons

  • Can be corrosive to stainless steel & other metals
  • Can be irritating to the skin
  • Deteriorates over time
  • Loses some activity in the presence of organic matter

 

Iodine

Pros

  • Not affected by hard water
  • Less irritating to the skin than chlorine
  • Activity is not lost rapidly in the presence of organic matter

Cons

  • Effectiveness decreases greatly with increase in pH
  • Should not be used in water > 50°C
  • May also discolor equipment and surfaces

 

Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (QAC)

Pros

  • Nontoxic, odorless, colorless, noncorrosive, nonirritating
  • Reatively stable in the presence of organic matter
  • Active over a wide pH range

Cons

  • Slower at killing some microorganisms
  • Not compatible with some detergents
  • Not compatible with hard water

 

Hydrogen Peroxide

Pros

  • Safer than Peracidic Acid
  • No disinfection by-products - trihalomethanes
  • Excellent Oxidizer

Cons

  • Surface Residue
  • Doesn't work instantly - needs time to work properly
  • Not as good at sterilization

 

Peracetic Acid

Pros

  • no toxic residues, rinsing not needed
  • works well at freezer/cooler temperatures, good for meat processors
  • potential use with medical devices

Cons

  • corrosive to eyes, skin, respiratory tract
  • strong oxidizer reacts with metals as brass, copper, iron & zinc

 

Chlorine Dioxide

Pros

  • Used at Low Concentrations
  • Low Reactivity with Organic Matter
  • Little Disinfection Byproducts are Formed
  • Effective Bacterial Disinfectant
  • Deactivates Chlorine-resistant Pathogens

Cons

  • Unstable Substance
  • Sufficient Ventilation Required
  • Irritates eyes, skin, lungs
Instructions/Safety

Concentrated Disinfectant Handling

Properly diluted disinfectants are generally safe to handle although protective goggles & gloves are never a bad idea. However, concentrated chemicals such as sodium hypochlorite, food grade hydrogen peroxide (35%), etc. are hazardous. Wearing PPE (personal protective equipment) is recommended when diluting these concentrates.

To be effective, sanitization & disinfection require an initial cleaning to remove food residues. Organics such as oil & protein can harbor bacteria & prevent physical contact & even inactivation of your sanitizer/disinfectant.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ for Disinfectants (Sanitizers)

Test strips are designed to be sensitive & calibrated for their respective disinfectant/sanitizer chemicals. These test strips serve two important functions, One is confirm the strength of concentrates has not degraded after opening. The second is to confirm that the dilution from concentrate to the applied strength has been done correctly.

If sanitizers are diluted incorrectly, they may not be at the strength needed to be effective. Indigo® test strips are guaranteed laboratory grade & every test strip has a Specification section on-line for its Stability Statement, Certificate of Analysis & SDS. A certificate of conformance is available on request.

Chlorine (sodium & calcium hypochlorite), quaternary ammonium compounds (aka Quat, QAC), hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid are the most common for typical sanitizing & disinfecting needs.

Disinfectants can be sprayed on, added to wash solutions for sinks, applied with cloths or mops or even fogged.

There are many such as halogens (chlorine & iodine), quats, hydrogen peroxide & peracetic acid all of which Indigo® test strips can measure. There are others such as alcohols, aldehydes & phenols which we cannot.

Yes but concentration & exposure time & even temperature will vary depending on the bacteria. Check labels or consult with health & safety experts for your particular needs.

Most disinfectant chemicals are simple molecules like chlorine (hypochlorite) & hydrogen peroxide but quats can be a mixture of larger organic molecules. We have posted images of their chemical structures using molecular models.