Cleaning Exam Tables and Counters: Where a General Cleaner Fits and Where You Need a Disinfectant

The exam table sees more traffic than anything else in the clinic. A shedding husky, then a cat with an upper respiratory infection, then a puppy on its first visit. In between, someone grabs a spray bottle and a towel and gives it a wipe. The question is what is in that bottle, and whether it is doing the job you think it is.

This post is about the difference between cleaning and disinfecting, where each one belongs in a vet clinic, and where a general cleaner like ours fits. Short version up front: I.C. Workstation Cleaner is a cleaner. It is not a registered disinfectant. For the between-patient step on an exam table, you need an EPA-registered disinfectant.

Cleaning and disinfecting are two different jobs

The EPA puts it simply. Cleaning physically removes dirt and most germs from a surface. Disinfecting uses a registered product to kill germs on the surface. Cleaning always comes first.

The NASPHV Compendium of Veterinary Standard Precautions explains why. It says equipment and surfaces must be cleaned with water and detergent before they are disinfected, because organic material cuts how well most disinfectants work. Hair, saliva, blood and feces get in the way. A disinfectant sprayed on a dirty table is fighting through all of it.

What the Compendium asks of a clinic

• Clean and disinfect equipment and surfaces between uses, or any time they are visibly soiled.
• Pay special attention to high-touch spots: exam tables, door knobs, cage latches, faucet handles and sinks.
• Use an EPA-registered disinfectant by its label, with attention to storage, dilution and contact time.
• Pick a disinfectant your staff can actually use the way the label says, including the contact time.
• Keep a written checklist for each area, such as the waiting room, exam rooms, treatment area, surgery and kennels. It should list how often, which products and who is responsible.
• Clean hands after cleaning, before starting the next task.

Contact time is where most clinics slip

The EPA’s six steps for disinfectant use are a good poster for any clinic:

• Check that the product has an EPA registration number.
• Read the label for the surfaces it is for and the precautions.
• Pre-clean the surface if it is dirty or the directions say to.
• Keep the surface wet for the full contact time on the label.
• Wear gloves, and wash your hands after you take them off.
• Close lids and store the product out of reach.

Contact time is the step that gets skipped. If the label says the surface has to stay wet for several minutes, a spray and an instant wipe-down does not meet it. The EPA says if the surface starts drying before the time is up, apply more.

A between-patient routine for the exam table

• Gloves on.
• Remove the gross stuff. Hair, litter, bedding and anything you can see. Use a disposable towel.
• Clean. Wipe the table with a cleaner or detergent your disinfectant label allows for pre-cleaning, until it looks clean.
• Disinfect. Apply your EPA-registered disinfectant and leave it wet for the full label contact time.
• Finish as the label says. Some labels call for a rinse or a wipe after the contact time.
• Gloves off, hands clean. Then bring in the next patient.

Do the same for the scale, the door handle and the faucet. They get touched as often as the table does.

Where a general cleaner fits

Not every surface in a clinic needs a disinfectant every time. Lots of them just need to be clean: front-desk glass, monitors, keyboards, the client counter, the pharmacy shelf, light switches in the office. That is where a general-purpose cleaner earns its spot.

I.C. Workstation Cleaner is a low-ionic, general-purpose hard surface cleaner. It removes dust, grease, grime and fingerprints from non-porous surfaces like laminate, metal, glass and plastic. It is streak-free and non-abrasive. It is alcohol-free, ammonia-free, odorless and biodegradable, so it is easy to live with at the front desk all day.

Again, so nobody gets it wrong on a busy Saturday: it does not disinfect. Use it to clean. Use your EPA-registered disinfectant where your protocol calls for disinfection. If you use it as a pre-clean before a disinfectant, check your disinfectant’s label first.

For screens and keyboards, spray the cleaner on a cloth, not on the device. Wipe in one direction so the dirt ends up in the cloth, not pushed around.

The cloth matters too

A dirty towel spreads more than it removes. Use disposable towels for anything that touched an animal or body fluids. For the front desk and electronics, a good microfiber cloth picks up dust and smudges without scratching.

The I.C. Antibacterial Microfiber Cloth removes dirt, grease and smudges from displays, tablets, phones and workstations. It is treated with AEGIS antimicrobial technology. That treatment protects the cloth itself against odor- and stain-causing bacteria. It does not disinfect the surface you wipe.

Keep separate cloths for the front office and the clinical side, and launder them often.

Your hands are part of the cleaning plan

The Compendium says staff should clean their hands after cleaning and before starting the next task. Gloves come off, hands get washed or rubbed, then the next patient. For the hand side of the routine, see our vet clinic hand care page.

FAQ

Can I use I.C. Workstation Cleaner to disinfect the exam table?

No. It is a general-purpose cleaner, not an EPA-registered disinfectant. Use it to clean. Use an EPA-registered disinfectant, by its label, for the between-patient disinfecting step.

Why clean before disinfecting if the disinfectant kills germs anyway?

Because dirt gets in the way. The NASPHV Compendium says organic material reduces how well most disinfectants work. Clean first so the disinfectant can reach the surface.

Does an antibacterial cloth disinfect what I wipe?

No. The antimicrobial treatment protects the cloth itself. Disinfecting the surface takes a registered disinfectant used by its label.

Sources

• NASPHV Veterinary Infection Control Committee, Compendium of Veterinary Standard Precautions for Zoonotic Disease Prevention in Veterinary Personnel, 2015, section on cleaning and disinfection of equipment and surfaces: https://www.nasphv.org/documentsCompendiaVet.html
• U.S. EPA, Six Steps for Safe and Effective Disinfectant Use: https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2020-04/documents/disinfectants-onepager.pdf
• U.S. EPA, Selected EPA-Registered Disinfectants: https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/selected-epa-registered-disinfectants
• U.S. EPA, Sensible Steps to Healthier School Environments (cleaning versus sanitizing and disinfecting): https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2026-05/sensible-steps-to-healthier-school-environments-may-2026.pdf
• R&R Lotion product data: I.C. Workstation Cleaner Technical Data Sheet; I.C. Antibacterial Microfiber Cloth product data (AEGIS treatment).