Two disinfectants used to clean eye exam equipment are not effective. Researchers found that 3% hydrogen peroxide and 70% isopropyl alcohol were not effective against adenovirus type 8a common cause of pink eye, according to the April issue of Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy. The two disinfectants are among four recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for cleaning eye exam equipment, such as applanation tonometers.

But, 70% ethyl alcohol and 5,000-parts-per-million chlorine, the other two disinfectants the CDC recommends for cleaning eye exam equipment, were determined to be effective in removing a test virus after one minute of interaction, say researchers at the University of North Carolina Health Care System.