Knight’s insists that the company isn’t just playing on consumer fears. Hospitals and other institutions must meet OSHA regulations for cleaning up blood spills. By guaranteeing a 30-second HIV kill time (rather than the two to 10 minutes claimed by other disinfectant cleaners), Spray Nine helps ambulance crews minimize turnaround times. Wrestlers can wipe down mats after a blood spill and get back to the sport while they’re still sweaty. In the two years since Knight’s added the 30-second notice, says the company, sales have grown at least 25 percent.
But do most households really need a spray that kills HIV? The virus is so fragile outside the body, says Bob Howard of the Centers for Disease Control, that almost anything does the job–bleach, mouthwash, even orange juice (with its high acidity). “It would die even if you put nothing on it,” says Howard. But then, “more effective than nothing” isn’t much of a sales pitch.
