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How to Use Sanitising Wipes Properly | Hygiene Direct NZ

Date: 21-10-2026
General Cleaning Blogs

Sanitising wipes are only as good as the way they are used. A good product used badly will not do its job, and most problems come down to a handful of habits. Here is the right way to use them, the mistakes to avoid, and how to dispose of them.

Step by step

  1. Read the label and the Safety Data Sheet (SDS). Check what the wipe is for, how long it needs to stay on the surface, whether you need to rinse and what protective equipment to wear.
  2. Put on any protective equipment. For example, the SDS for our Sygnet General Purpose Anti-Bacterial Wipes recommends protective gloves and eye or face protection, and warns that the product can cause serious eye irritation and an allergic skin reaction.
  3. Remove visible dirt first. Sanitiser may not work as well on a surface that still has soil on it, so wipe off crumbs, grease and spills before you sanitise. Food-safety guidance treats cleaning and sanitising as two separate steps for that reason.
  4. Wipe the whole surface. Use firm, overlapping strokes and work from the cleanest area to the dirtiest.
  5. Keep the surface wet for the contact time. Most labels ask for a set time. If the surface dries sooner, use a second wipe.
  6. Use a fresh wipe for each area. Carrying one wipe from a dirty area to a clean one spreads the problem.
  7. Follow the label on rinsing and drying. Some products need rinsing on food-contact surfaces and some do not. Unless the label says otherwise, let the surface air dry.
  8. Bin the wipe, close the tub and wash your hands.

What contact time means

Contact time is how long the sanitiser must stay on the surface to do its job. Health guidance notes that it may be seconds or minutes depending on the product and the job, so there is no one number to remember. Look for it on the label or in the supplier's documents. If you cannot find one, ask your supplier before you rely on the wipe for anything critical.

Common mistakes

  • Wiping dry or too fast. A quick swipe that dries in seconds may not give the product enough time.
  • Skipping the clean. Sanitising over visible dirt is the most common mistake.
  • Using one wipe on a whole room. Change wipes between areas and tasks.
  • Using wipes on the wrong surface. Do not use a hard-surface wipe on skin, on porous materials or on food-contact surfaces unless the label says it is suitable.
  • Mixing products. Do not combine cleaning chemicals, and do not use two products on the same surface at once.
  • Leaving the lid off. An open tub dries out. Close it or reseal the pack after each use, as directed on the pack.
  • Flushing used wipes. More on that below.

Safe handling and storage

  • Avoid contact with your eyes, and wash your hands thoroughly after handling.
  • Store wipes away from food and out of reach of children. The Sygnet SDS goes further and says to store locked up if there is a chance a child could swallow a wipe or the liquid.
  • If a wipe is swallowed or liquid gets into the eyes, follow the first-aid section of the SDS. The Sygnet SDS lists the NZ National Poison Centre on 0800 764 766.
  • Keep the SDS where staff can reach it. WorkSafe requires a current SDS for each hazardous substance in the workplace, kept readily accessible.

Disposal: bin them, never flush them

The Ministry for the Environment says wet wipes, including those labelled flushable, should go in the bin because they do not break down as easily as toilet paper and can clog wastewater systems. Consumer NZ tested 11 flushable wipes and found all of them still intact after 70 minutes, while toilet paper had disintegrated. Put a bin right next to each wipe station, and tell new staff that wipes never go down the toilet. See our range of rubbish bins for options.

Stock your wipe stations

Browse our disinfectant and sanitising wipes and wipes dispensers, or open a trade account with Hygiene Direct for bulk pricing.

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