What type of surface disinfectant is not considered sporicidal?

Alcohol-based disinfectants are not considered sporicidal because they primarily work by denaturing proteins and disrupting cell membranes, which is effective against most bacteria and many viruses, but not capable of eliminating bacterial spores. Bacterial spores are highly resistant forms of bacteria that require more potent agents for their destruction.

In contrast, chlorinated compounds, phenolic disinfectants, and iodophors have been shown to possess sporicidal properties, making them suitable for applications where spore-forming bacteria may be present. Thus, when assessing the efficacy of different disinfectants for specific microbiological challenges, it becomes clear that alcohol-based options are limited in their ability to address spores specifically.