How to sanitize epoxy table tops, bar tops, or countertops
To start with, you can use soap and water with a t-shirt type cloth or smooth microfiber cloth.
If you want to use something stronger or guaranteed to sanitize, you can try one of the following:
Diluted bleach:
- Bleach can be diluted with cold water to make an effective disinfectant against bacteria, fungi, and many viruses including the coronavirus. You can typically use ¼ cup of bleach per 1 gallon of cold water, but be sure to follow the directions on the label of your bleach.
- Make a diluted bleach solution as needed. Use it within 24 hours, as its disinfecting ability fades with time.
- Do not use the diluted bleach solution on your skin. It is not a safe substitute for handwashing or hand sanitizer.
- Just be sure the bleach is diluted with water.
Diluted alcohol:
- Alcohol in many forms, including rubbing alcohol, is effective for killing most pathogens. You can dilute alcohol with water (or aloe vera to make hand sanitizer) but be sure to keep an alcohol concentration of around 70% to kill coronaviruses. Many hand sanitizers have a concentration of about 60% alcohol, and Lysol contains about 80%; these are all effective against coronaviruses.
- Solutions of 70% alcohol should be left on surfaces for 30 seconds (including cellphones – but check the advice of the phone manufacturer to make sure you don’t void the warranty) to provide adequate time for killing any viruses. Pure (100%) alcohol evaporates too quickly for this purpose.
- Containers of 70% alcohol should be sealed to prevent evaporation. But unlike bleach solutions, they will remain potent as long as they are sealed between uses.
- A 70% alcohol solution with water is not an appropriate substitute for handwashing and/or hand sanitizer.
Note: If used consistently over a long period of time, these harsher solutions may cause the epoxy to lose its gloss.