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Background: Wiping is an effective and established method for decontaminating surfaces, it involves applying liquid while simultaneously removing soils. Chlorine dioxide is a high-level disinfectant that can be applied to surfaces, including those of medical devices, with the aid of mechanical action or wiping. The European Standard (EN) 16615 evaluates the microbiocidal efficacy of a chemical disinfectant when it is applied with mechanical action, i.e., when applied by wiping. It has been suggested that manual methods employing human intervention can lead to variations in a validated process. One such assumption is that variable wiping force that exists between users may influence the effectiveness of the process. Method: The average wiping force of individuals with varying physical characteristics was investigated. A bespoke testing apparatus was employed in a series of EN 16615 four-field tests, with the aim to investigate if variable wiping force between individuals impacts the microbiocidal efficacy of a chlorine dioxide-based wipe disinfectant if tested as applied as in practice. Results: Individuals applied variable forces when wiping. Physical attributes such as hand dominance and body build were shown to influence the force applied. The average wiping force calculated from this pool of participants was found to be lower than the stated range given by the EN 16615. The pre-impregnated chlorine dioxide-based wipe achieved biocidal efficacy in the series of EN 16615 tests. No trend relating to the efficacy of the product and the different forces applied could be drawn. Conclusion: The data demonstrates that individuals apply different forces to a surface when wiping. However, the variability expressed when wiping has no impact on the microbiocidal efficacy of a manually applied chlorine dioxide-based disinfectant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]