Commercial Sanitisers in Australia Compared

Which Sanitiser Should an Australian Kitchen Use? Most Australian commercial kitchens use a chlorine-based or quaternary ammonium (QAC) sanitiser for general surfaces, alcohol for hands and small tools, and peroxyacetic acid in dairy and beverage settings. The right choice depends on the surface, the soil load, the contact time you can give it, and the cost. This guide compares the four main sanitiser families used in Australia, explains how to match each to the task, and covers concentration, verification and safe storage. One rule applies to all of them: sanitising is not cleaning. A sanitiser only works on a surface that has already been cleaned of grease and food. Applied over soil, even the best product fails. For the full explanation, read our cleaning vs sanitising guide . The Four Main Sanitiser Families Most commercial sanitisers sold in Australia fall into four chemical families, each with clear strengths and trade-offs. Chlorine-based (sodium hypochlorite): Cheap and effective across bacteria, viruses and fungi. It works fast but loses strength quickly once diluted, is corrosive to some metals, can stain, and is deactivated by organic soil — so surfaces must be clean first. QAC (quaternary ammonium): Stable, low-odour and low-rinse, which makes it popular in food service for benches and equipment. It leaves a residual film that keeps working, but it is slower against some viruses and can be neutralised by certain detergents, so do not mix products. Peroxyacetic acid (PAA): Fast and broad-spectrum, effective even at lower temperatures, and it breaks down into harmless residues. It is widely used in dairy, brewing and beverage plants. It has a sharp odour and needs careful handling. Alcohol (ethanol or isopropanol): Ideal for hands, small tools and food-contact surfaces that need to dry quickly with no rinse. It is not suitable for heavy soil and evaporates fast, so contact time is short. How Do You Match a Sanitiser to the Task? Match the product to the surface, the soil load and the contact time you can realistically give it. A high-turnover prep bench needs a fast, food-safe option; a dish area with an existing detergent system needs a compatible sanitiser; hands and probes need alcohol. Identify the surface and whether it is food-contact. Clean the surface first with detergent to remove grease and debris. Choose a sanitiser suited to that surface and soil level. Apply at the labelled concentration and leave it for the full contact time. Rinse only if the label requires it; many food-service sanitisers are no-rinse at use strength. Keeping this consistent across a busy team is easier when the steps are written into your cleaning schedule. Our cleaning tools let you attach the correct method and product to each task, and staff training records confirm the team knows how to use them. Concentration and Contact Time A sanitiser only works at the right concentration for the right length of time. Too dilute and it will not kill; too strong and it wastes money, may taint food and can be unsafe. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions on the APVMA-registered label, which specify the correct dilution and contact time for that product. Verify concentration with test strips, especially during high-volume service when a sanitiser bath weakens as it is used and soiled. A quick strip check turns a guess into a recorded fact — and gives you evidence the surface was actually sanitised, not just wiped. Australian sanitiser products should be registered with the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, and general food-hygiene expectations are set out by Food Standards Australia New Zealand . Storage, SDS and Staff Safety Sanitisers are chemicals and must be managed as such. Store them separately from food and food packaging, clearly labelled and never in unmarked drink bottles. Keep a current Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for each product accessible to staff, and train the team in correct dilution and the PPE the label requires. Store away from and below food and packaging to prevent contamination. Keep products in original, labelled containers. Hold a current SDS for every chemical on site. Never mix products — chlorine and acids can release toxic gas. Cleaning Comes First, Every Time The single most common sanitising mistake is skipping or rushing the cleaning step. Sanitisers are designed to reduce bacteria on an already-clean surface. Grease, protein and food debris physically shield bacteria and, in the case of chlorine, chemically consume the sanitiser before it can act. That is why the correct sequence is always the same: scrape, wash with detergent, rinse, then sanitise, then allow the surface to dry. Think of detergent and sanitiser as two different tools doing two different jobs. Detergent lifts and removes soil; sanitiser kills the microorganisms left behind. Neither replaces the other. A surface that looks clean can still carry millions of bacteria, and a surface that has been sanitised without cleaning is neither clean nor safe. Building this two-step discipline into your written cleaning procedures — and verifying it — is what turns good intentions into a defensible food-safety system. Cost, Compatibility and Practical Selection Beyond effectiveness, real kitchens choose sanitisers on cost, compatibility and convenience. Chlorine is the cheapest per litre, which suits high-volume general cleaning, but its short working life means you must mix fresh solution often. QAC costs more but is stable, low-odour and leaves a residual film, making it convenient for benches and front-of-house. Peroxyacetic acid carries a higher price and stronger odour but excels in cold conditions and rinses away cleanly, which is why beverage and dairy producers favour it. Compatibility with your surfaces matters too. Chlorine can corrode stainless steel and aluminium over time if left in contact or used too strong, while some sanitisers are gentler on equipment. Match the product to you