An article is applied to the surface of an article, animal housing environment or animal (including humans) to provide antimicrobial activity when activated with a liquid comprising alcohol. The article may comprise a water and/or alcohol absorbent material; and a composition that reacts with water and/or alcohol to produce molecular iodine. The composition provides a local concentration (in the water and/or alcohol) of at least 5 or 10 parts per million iodine in water and/or alcohol carried by the material (that is actual water supported by the water absorbent material) when the material has 5% by weight of water present in the water absorbent.