Two Lysol products have been deemed as effective by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency against the novel coronavirus when used on hard, non-porous surfaces.

Lysol Disinfectant Spray and Lysol Disinfectant Max Cover Mist have been reported to meet the EPA’s criteria for use against the SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for the current global coronavirus pandemic.

In laboratory testing, the EPA found that both products were able to kill the virus two minutes after contact. It was pointed out that these disinfectants are only for use on surfaces and should never be used on the human body.

According to the EPA, there are more than 420 products on the list of disinfectants that are considered strong enough to eliminate “harder-to-kill” viruses than the coronavirus. But these two particular Lysol products are the first to have been tested directly against the novel coronavirus and proved effective.

Lysol said that it is working on testing the efficacy of other disinfectant products against the contagion.

“In the face of the pandemic, Lysol continues to work with a wide range of scientific and health experts to educate the public on the importance of hygiene,” Rahul Kadyan, executive vice president of Reckitt Benckiser in North America, Lysol’s parent company, said in a statement.

The EPA said that it expects to approve additional products in the coming weeks.

“EPA is committed to identifying new tools and providing accurate and up-to-date information to help the American public protect themselves and their families from the novel coronavirus,” EPA administrator Andrew Wheeler said in a news release.

“EPA’s review of products tested against this virus marks an important milestone in President Trump’s all of government approach to fighting the spread of COVID-19.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported last month that more than one-third of Americans misused cleaners and disinfectants in their efforts to prevent coronavirus infections.

Several of the commonly reported “high-risk” practices were washing foods with bleach, using household cleaning or disinfectant products on bare skin and intentionally inhaling or ingesting these products.

“These practices pose a risk of severe tissue damage and corrosive injury and should be strictly avoided,” the CDC researchers wrote in the report.

More specifically, the CDC found that 4% of respondents consumed or gargled diluted bleach solutions, soapy water and other disinfectants. Nearly 20% said they washed fruits and vegetables with bleach, and about the same percentage used household disinfectants on their skin.

Overall, about 40% of respondents reported using at least one method not recommended by the CDC.

Ethen Kim Lieser is a Minneapolis-based Science and Tech Editor who has held posts at Google, The Korea Herald, Lincoln Journal Star, AsianWeek and Arirang TV. Follow or contact him on LinkedIn.