Patent ID: 8574609

Claim:
A method of cleaning a surface comprising: preparing a disinfecting composition that comprises (1) at least one ester selected from the group consisting of methyl lactate, ethyl lactate, butyl lactate, propyl lactate, hexyl lactate, and octyl lactate, (2) an additive selected from the group consisting of a surface active agent, an emulsifying agent, an organic acidifying agent, a sequestrant, a chelant, a reducing agent, an antioxidant, and mixtures thereof, and (3) a diluent, and wherein the disinfecting composition is food additive safe; and applying the composition to a surface containing microbes, bacteria, and bacterial spores to thereby treat the surface to clean the surface and to reduce the microbial count and wherein the compound has sporicidal activity effective to kill at least 89% of the bacterial spores on the surface.