Cleaning, disinfecting and sanitizing have dominated our lives the past 18 months – the terms are easily confused! Fortunately, a commercial janitorial service knows the difference.
We’ve heard more about cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing over the past 18 months than probably the several decades before. Despite their renewed presence in daily life, however, we’re finding the terms are easily confused. Fortunately, you can rely on a good commercial janitorial service like Decca Janitorial to understand the difference. We have to!
Where do germs live?
Germs are simply a fact of life. There’s no getting around it, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing – some germs can be helpful. Many, on the other hand, cause great harm and cause disease.
Germs are found just about everywhere. They live on our skin and inside our bodies. They exist in the air around us, the water we drink, and the soil around us – our yards, and where our fruit and veggies grow. Germs also live on the objects and surfaces we touch – which we’ve heard so much about over the past year and a half.
As we know, germs spread and can impact our health and cause sickness. Quite easily! Germs can be spread from a simple remote control for your television. Touch the device, rub your nose or touch your food – BAM! You’ve caught a cold or the flu.
How do we avoid germs?
As individuals, we can certainly do our part to avoid spreading, as well as getting infected, by germs throughout the day. Wash your hands — frequently! And after you’ve touched any high-touch surfaces such as light switches, doorknobs, countertops, etc. If you can’t wash your hands with soap and water – the most effective option – keep hand sanitiser handy.
More importantly, to keep our environments, both home and work, safe and as clean as possible, it is critical to clean regularly as well as disinfect and sanitize objects and surfaces.
As a business, there’s no better – or cost-effective – way to ensure the cleanest facilities possible than using a commercial janitorial service.
Clean. Disinfect. Sanitize. Are all necessary?
First, it’s important to know what each of the terms means and how to incorporate them effectively in any cleaning regimen. Do you know the difference? Understanding how each is utilized will help keep your surroundings safe and your employees, customers, and visitors healthy.
With vaccinations being widely administered, things are opening up, but COVID-19 is still a reality. And, the fact is, conventional cleaning is a thing of the past! Simply cleaning is not enough to ensure that we keeping our environments free of harmful germs and bacteria.
Cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting – the difference
While times have changed and perceptions of cleanliness have been turned on their heads thanks to the pandemic, it’s not unusual for people to still view disinfecting as the same thing as sanitizing or cleaning. They’re actually all very different:
- Cleaning – Cleaning removes dirt and grime. It takes care of dust, crumbs, and other debris and can successfully remove germs from objects and surfaces. Cleaning is effective because it typically involves soap and water or other detergents. You may remove some of the germs which help to maintain a healthy environment, BUT cleaning does not kill the germs.
- Disinfecting – To disinfect you use disinfecting chemicals to kill the germs found on objects or surfaces. Disinfecting destroys both the bacteria and viruses identified on a particular product’s label (such as influenza and rhinovirus) on hard, nonporous surfaces. Popular disinfectants tend to be bleach and alcohol solutions. To effectively kill germs, these solutions need to be left on the surfaces for a period of time. To be clear, when you disinfect, you aren’t necessarily cleaning the dirty objects or surfaces. When you clean and disinfect at the same time, you further lower the risk of spreading germs and infection. You’ll find products that clean and disinfect in one.
- Sanitizing – Sanitizing reduces the number of microorganisms and bacteria identified on the product’s label on hard surfaces and in the laundry to a safe level. Sanitizing is done after cleaning. If a surface hasn’t been cleaned first, it will reduce the effectiveness of sanitization.
How to clean, disinfect, and sanitize effectively? A commercial janitorial service does it best!
To enjoy peace of mind that you are preventing the spread of infection as best you can, consider a commercial janitorial service. It’s our business to know not only the difference between cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitising but to employ all the techniques, products, and expertise to do it well.
Hire the best! At Decca Janitorial Services, we know how to keep businesses clean and safe – over 45 years of providing commercial cleaning and janitorial services in Toronto and Southern Ontario.
Do you have questions about professional cleaning? Contact us!
