FAQs

The amount of product you will need depends on the surface area you want to cover. For example, a sofa will require 10-12 ounces of Sterifab. See more estimates about how much Sterifab to use. If you’re unsure how much Sterifab to order, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help you figure out how much Sterifab you need.

Sterifab can be applied on almost any surface and dries in approximately 15 minutes. Because it is nonresidual, Sterifab can be used in many places where other products can not be applied. It is one of the only products labeled for use on mattresses and upholstered furniture. Use Sterifab on mattresses, bedding, box springs and finished surfaces, inside lockers, cabinets and drawers, in car interiors, on animal bedding and cages, in hospitals and other medical facilities, doctors', dentists’ and therapists’ offices, police cars, prisons, garbage bins and more! Do not apply Sterifab on people or animals, food items, utensils, pots and pans, or directly on clothing or shoes. It is also not compatible with waxed surfaces such as finished leather or wood.

Absolutely. Anyone can use Sterifab. It’s easy to use, dries in 15 minutes, and can be used on nearly any surface. Order a bottle so you’ll have it on hand anytime you need a disinfectant, virucide or insectide.

No. Use Sterifab as is, straight from the bottle!

Sterifab can be applied by spraying directly from the trigger sprayer fitted for the Sterifab pint bottle or, for larger quantities, by using the Continuous Action Sprayer (CAS). Here’s how to use Sterifab, step by step: Clean all surfaces before treating with Sterifab. Shake bottle. *Do not dilute. Spray the area you want to treat. Make sure to cover the entire surface with a fine mist of Sterifab. Stand one foot from the surface you are treating. Allow soft areas to dry completely before use. This should take about 15 minutes. For hard surfaces, wipe clean after 15 minutes.

Order directly from any of our distributors or on Amazon.com. Sterifab is available only in the United States. If you're a pest control professional, please order directly from Nisus.

As soon as the product is dry! This usually takes about 15 minutes.

No, Sterifab does not have an expiration date, but after several years it may lose some of its efficacy. Each bottle of Sterifab is labeled with a manufactured-on date.

No. Only those EPA-registered products that specifically state on their label that they are permitted to be applied on mattresses, upholstered furniture, or carpets may be used on those surfaces. Sterifab is specifically labeled for these purposes, and many others. Use of a non-labeled product on those surfaces is a violation of federal law.

Any environment that calls for an insecticide may well need a disinfectant as well. Conditions that promote insects and infestations are often breeding grounds for many types of bacteria, fungi, germs, odors, and mildew.

Once it dries, Sterifab is essentially inactive. It kills listed viruses, bacteria and insects on application, leaving no residue after drying. While the insecticides become inactive after drying, Sterifab continues to inhibit the growth of new bacteria and fungus.

Recent laboratory tests prove that Sterifab knocks down and kills virtually all bed bugs and their eggs, along with many other pests, within mere minutes. Results from additional studies regarding Sterifab’s efficacy are available here.

Being EPA-registered means that after rigorous review of scientific efficacy data, the EPA approved of Sterifab’s claims that it kills listed viruses, bacteria, bed bugs, ticks, flies, fleas, lice, mites, and all other insects and pests contained on Sterifab’s label. It also means that the EPA found that Sterifab is scientifically proven not to cause unreasonable adverse effects on the environment.

Sterifab is labeled for use on mattresses, upholstered furniture, pet bedding, car interiors, lockers and treated surfances, and is one of the few disinfectants and insecticides that is completely nonresidual. Items treated with Sterifab can be used normally as soon as the product has dried.

In most cases, when a disinfectant is needed, there are also fungi and small insects present. Conditions such as dampness that require disinfectants are normally breeding grounds for many different types of insects. In addition to killing listed bacteria, Sterifab kills listed viruses and tiny insects or larva such as mites, bed bugs, scabies and more.

No, Sterifab dries crystal clear without any staining and is nonresidual.

Sterifab is the only EPA-registered virucide, disinfectant and insecticide in one product, and it has been on the market for more than 50 years. With just a few sprays, Sterifab kills bed bugs, fleas, ticks, mites, listed viruses, mold, mildew and more. It kills listed bacteria, and eradicates pathogenic odors. That’s why it’s the go-to product for so many national and regional pest control companies and professionals.

The active ingredients are 3-phenoxybenzyl d-cis and trans, 2.2-dimethyl-3 (2-methylpropenyl), cyclopropanecarboxylate, isopropyl alcohol, didecyl dimethyl ammonium chloride, and dimethyl benzyl ammonium chloride. For more details, see our product label.

Extensive laboratory testing shows that Sterifab effectively kills coronavirus on surfaces. Sterifab is EPA approved to kill 99.9% of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, upon application. Read more about Sterifab and COVID-19.

Sterifab is the only EPA-registered product that is scientifically proven to kill listed viruses and bacteria, all stages of bed bugs, fleas, ticks, mites, flies, mosquitoes, spiders, cockroaches, silverfish, ants, firebrats, sowbugs, centipedes, scabies, lice, fungi and mold. It also eliminates pathogenic odors.