Are cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing all the same thing? The simple answer is no! They are all important parts of a trio that make up a successful process of facility maintenance and cleaning. Each one is a very necessary step towards a healthy and enjoyable environment and an important aspect of enhancing the quality of your facility. Now that we know these are all unique; let’s find out how each one differs from the others.

Cleaning

When thinking about the three tasks being discussed today, they all typically get summed up into “cleaning”. To most individual’s surprise, cleaning is only the first step of this process. Technically cleaning is the process of removal. Removal of debris, dirt, build up, grime, and more can all be included in this first stage of the facility maintenance process. This does not remove germs or pathogens but it does however clear away anything that might be trapping that matter – making it easier to disinfect effectively later.

Sanitizing

This step takes cleaning to the next level, it does not kill all pathogens and germs but it does however reduce them to public health standard’s “acceptable” levels. This is a mid-way point between clean and disinfected.

Disinfecting

This is the final step in the trifecta of decontamination! By definition Disinfecting is the process of killing pathogenic organisms. This is not the process of cleaning or removing residues, this process focuses on killing the unseen organisms that could lead to sickness or disease. There are some cleaning products that are cleaning agents and disinfectants rolled into one that have been created to save time – but know these are two separate processes.

Always remember to rinse surfaces between and after each cleaning product use to avoid residue from forming and collecting more soil and creating surface damage from chemical wear and tear. Now the hard part, picking your products. A few great products to keep around to limit the germs and pathogens being spread around your facility are:

• Hand sanitizer
• Disinfectant spray
• Tissues
• Clorox or disinfecting wipes
• Multipurpose wipes safe to be used on human skin

This decontamination process is key in the safety and cleanliness of your facility. Each step is to be completed thoroughly without skipping any of the processes. Unfortunately, despite the hard work that goes into it, this process often goes unnoticed when it is done correctly because it is seen as a normal standard. When steps are skipped however, it is quickly noticed. For example the average cleaning company loses around 55 percent of its clientele yearly because of non-performance of simple processes like decontamination. Don’t be one of those cleaning services and don’t be a facility to lose business due to cutting corners. Decontamination is as simple as one – two – three.

For a Short Video Summarizing What Was Discussed in This Blog

For great products and pricing to keep your facility decontaminated from germs, pathogens, and more – check out Action Unlimited Resources’ catalogue for the best quality and deals. Take ACTION today so no one has to take a sick day tomorrow. Don’t rely on bleach to be your only disinfectant! Though it is commonly thought of as the chemical that can kill everything, that is NOT a fact. Explore alternate and safer cleaning methods through common disinfectant products.