Contact time refers to the time a disinfectant should be in direct contact with a surface to ensure that the pathogens specified on the label are killed.

Disinfectants with long contact times, such as 10 minutes, may require more than one application to ensure that the contact time is met. For ease of use, you may consider selecting products with shorter contact times.

If the contact time is not followed, residual pathogens could be left on the surface.