A formulation for use in preventing nucleic acids from acting as templates in an amplification reaction when the solution is combined with a nucleic acid deactivating agent, the formulation comprising a corrosion-inhibiting agent, a wetting agent, and a solubilizing agent, wherein each of said agents remains substantially in solution at 22°C, and wherein each agent is present in an amount that when the formulation is combined with an amount of a deactivating agent sufficient for the combined formulation to substantially deactivate nucleic acids, the corrosion-inhibiting agent reduces the corrosive properties of the deactivating agent, the wetting agent improves the dispersion properties of the deactivating agent on a solid surface and/or increases the solubility of the deactivating agent and/or other material that may be present on a solid surface or in a formulation, and the solubilizing agent increases the solubility of at least one of the deactivating agent, the corrosion-inhibiting agent, and the wetting agent.