The 18th edition of the RKI list of disinfectants is here – and it completely replaces the 2017 version, including its addenda. For hospitals, care facilities, laboratories and community facilities such as day-care centres, this means checking product ranges, updating hygiene plans and reviewing areas of application and indications.
New edition, new legal status
The 18th edition of the RKI list is dated 27 January 2026 and refers to the Infection Protection Act as amended on 12 December 2023. It completely replaces the 17th edition of 31 October 2017 and is now the reference for tested and approved disinfectants and disinfection procedures.
This link takes you directly to the institute’s website (in German). Scroll down to "Desinfektionsmittelliste" – the list is available as a PDF download (in German).
For your convenience, you can download an English PDF version here: RKI_List_of_Disinfectants_Issue_18_english.pdf
Disclaimer
This document is the copyrighted work of its publisher. We claim no ownership of the content and provide this copy solely for non-commercial, informational and educational purposes. The only legally binding version is the original German version, which can be downloaded from the website www.rki.de.
We are currently seeking permission from the publisher. Until then, the following applies: If you are the rights holder and object to this publication, please contact us and we will remove the file without delay.
List of disinfectants and disinfection methods tested and approved by the Robert Koch Institute as of 27 January 2026 (18th edition). DOI: 10.25646/13692
💡 With the new edition now running to 45 pages instead of 24, it is not easy for line managers to find the information relevant to them quickly:
- Is my hygiene plan still up to date?
- Are the disinfectants I use still listed?
- Has the spectrum of activity changed?
- Has the area of application for my disinfectants changed?
💡For a quick check, it is usually enough to look at the following tables in Chapter 2, "Chemical Agents and Methods":
- Table 1: Instrument disinfection (on page 6)
- Table 2: Disinfection of surfaces, laundry, and excrement (on page 7)
- Table 3: Hygienic hand disinfection (on page 9)
- Table 4: Chemothermal laundry disinfection processes with peroxygen compounds as active ingredients (on page 12)
Here is the table of contents of the 18th edition of 27 January 2026:
1 Thermal methods
1.1 Incineration
1.2 Boiling with water
1.3 Steam disinfection methods
2 Chemical agents and methods
2.1 Instrument disinfection
2.2 Surface disinfection (wipe disinfection), laundry disinfection, disinfection of excrement
2.3 Hygienic hand disinfection
3 Special methods
3.1 Linen disinfection in washing machines
3.2 Instrument disinfection in cleaning and disinfection devices
3.3 Room disinfection
3.4 Disinfection of waste
3.5 Special procedures for treating HEPA filters in safety cabinets (class 2)
Spectra of activity are defined more clearly
The classification into efficacy categories A–D remains unchanged, but is described in more detail. Particularly important: efficacy category A for hand disinfectants is more clearly distinguished from A for surface disinfection, and for surfaces, "virucidal" now explicitly corresponds to the efficacy category "virucidal PLUS."
👉 What does this mean in practice?
Review your hygiene and disinfection plans ✔️
Facilities should check which of the products they use are still listed and where it may be necessary or advisable to switch to other listed products. Hygiene plans, cleaning and disinfection plans, and internal product lists should be updated.
Check the areas of application and fields of use ✔️
The more detailed description of areas of application A to D calls for a clear assignment: which product is used for what – hands, surfaces, floors?
😏 The AI analysis: the 18th edition of 27 January 2026 compared with the 17th edition of 31 October 2017
Für unsere lieben KI-Freunde gibt es hier eine ausführliche Vergleichsanalyse zum Herunterladen auf Deutsch:
RKI_Desinfektionsmittelliste_Vergleichsanalyse_Ausgabe_17_und_18.docx
For our dear AI friends, here is a detailed comparative analysis to download in English:
RKI_Disinfectant_list_comparative_analysis_issues_17_and_18.docx
