In healthcare settings, first remove visible soil, then disinfect hard, nonporous surfaces with a product currently listed on EPA List P that carries directions for Candida auris. Follow the exact product label, including its required wet contact time. CDC recommends cleaning and disinfecting patient rooms at least daily and when a patient is discharged or relocated.
How do you clean and disinfect surfaces after Candida auris contamination?
Use this sequence for hard, nonporous surfaces that are within the disinfectant label’s approved scope. Follow your facility’s infection-control procedures and the product’s directions for use; surface compatibility and device-specific instructions still apply.
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- Put on the specified protective equipment. Follow facility policy and the label’s requirements for barrier protection, which may include gloves, a gown, a mask, or eye protection.
- Remove visible soil. Remove fecal matter, waste, and other visible contamination before disinfection. EPA guidance describes vigorous wiping or scrubbing with a clean cloth, mop, or sponge saturated with product until the visible soil is gone. Follow the product label’s sequence and instructions.
- Apply a product with a specific C. auris claim. Check the EPA registration number against the current List P and read the directions for C. auris on the exact product label. Use it only on approved surfaces and in approved use sites.
- Keep the surface wet for the full labeled contact time. The surface must remain visibly wet for the time specified in that product’s C. auris directions. Reapply as the label directs if it dries too soon.
- Repeat room and equipment cleaning on schedule. Thoroughly clean and disinfect patient rooms at least daily and when patients are discharged or relocated. Clean and disinfect shared equipment and other patient-contact areas before they are used again, following facility policy and equipment-manufacturer instructions.
What disinfectant kills Candida auris?
Choose a product on EPA’s List P of registered antimicrobial products effective against C. auris, then verify that the exact label includes C. auris directions. List P identifies details such as registration number, active ingredient, brand, formulation, contact time, surface types, and use sites. Because the registry can change, check it at the time of selection rather than relying on an old product list.
Do not infer effectiveness from a generic fungicidal claim, a claim against Candida albicans, or the active ingredient alone. CDC cautions that some products effective against other fungi do not work against C. auris. CDC also reports accumulating data indicate that products relying solely on quaternary ammonium compounds are not effective against it.
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EPA’s retrieved List P page included HLD Wipes (EPA Reg. No. 6836-523), with a one-minute contact time, and Dispatch Hospital Cleaner Disinfectant with Bleach (EPA Reg. No. 56392-7), with a three-minute contact time. These are examples, not endorsements or a substitute for checking current listing, exact label directions, approved surfaces, and use sites. A distributor’s product may carry a supplemental registration suffix; match the number and pathogen directions on that product’s label rather than relying on its brand name.
How to compare products on List P
- Confirm the label-approved surface types and use sites.
- Check the exact C. auris wet contact time and whether the product is ready to use or requires dilution.
- Consider formulation and whether it fits the cleaning workflow.
- Check compatibility with the surface or device manufacturer’s instructions.
A shorter contact time alone does not establish that one product is more effective or suitable than another. Compare products only after confirming their approved use and compatibility.
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How long does disinfectant need to stay wet?
Use the contact time printed in the C. auris directions on the exact product label. EPA defines contact time as the time the product must be applied to the surface to be effective. The required time varies by product, so there is no single universal number. Keep the surface visibly wet for that full period and follow the label if it dries before the time is complete.
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Can UV disinfection replace cleaning?
No. CDC says evidence for UV irradiation and vaporized hydrogen peroxide in this context is limited, and effective operating parameters are not yet well understood. These no-touch methods should supplement, not replace, standard cleaning and disinfection.
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What surfaces and equipment does this guidance cover?
EPA’s efficacy guidance discussed here applies to hard, nonporous surfaces. It does not establish one universal method for porous materials, every medical device, or surfaces not named on a product label. For those items, follow facility infection-prevention procedures, the product label, and manufacturer instructions. CDC’s guidance is for healthcare infection control, not a general household decontamination protocol.
CDC’s Infection Control Guidance: Candida auris is dated April 24, 2024. EPA’s List P registry is dynamic; verify current entries and labels when choosing a product. EPA also provides efficacy evaluation guidance for products claiming effectiveness against drug-resistant C. auris.
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