Using Cleaning Products Effectively: A Guide from Phoenix Service
As a leading provider of commercial cleaning services, Phoenix Service understands the importance of using cleaning products correctly. With this in mind, we’ve put together this guide to help our clients and their cleaning crews get the most out of their cleaning products. In this article, we will cover the differences between cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing, when to use each approach, and the importance of following product instructions.
Cleaning, Disinfecting, and Sanitizing: What’s the Difference?
To use a cleaning product effectively, it’s important to know what it’s designed to do and whether its purpose matches up with the job at hand and the desired outcome. This means understanding the differences between cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing.
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), cleaning removes germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces or objects, but it does not necessarily kill the germs. Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects through the use of chemicals or other solutions, while sanitizing lowers the number of germs on surfaces or objects to a safe level, as judged by public health standards or requirements.
When to Clean
It’s important to clean high-touch surfaces such as desks, counters, door handles, stair rails, elevator buttons, touchpads, and restroom fixtures on a regular basis. Even if you plan to sanitize or disinfect a surface, always clean it first, as impurities like dirt might make it difficult for sanitizing or disinfecting products to remove and kill germs. Some sanitizers and disinfectants do clean, but the only way to know for sure is to read the instructions.
You might be surprised to learn that, according to the CDC, cleaning alone is often enough to prevent the spread of most harmful germs, such as viruses or bacteria, especially in facilities such as schools and offices. However, specific regulations or practices for cleaning and disinfection might apply in healthcare facilities and other buildings. Some germs are more difficult to remove or kill and might require specialized cleaning and disinfection. Always follow standard practices and appropriate regulations specific to your type of facility for cleaning and disinfection.
When to Sanitize
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), sanitizing reduces and even kills some bacteria, but isn’t very effective against viruses. As such, you’d want to use sanitizing products on surfaces that haven’t been infected by someone ill with a virus (such as influenza or COVID-19) or if there are concerns about dangerous bacteria. Items that are commonly sanitized include desks, toys, and cooking tools.
When to Disinfect
Disinfecting is important in higher-risk areas such as spaces with commonly touched surfaces (like doorknobs, handrails, counters, and appliances), a high likelihood of surface contamination with bacteria and viruses, such as in restrooms, and for people at high risk of infection that could lead to serious illness (such as children, elderly adults, and those with underlying health conditions). During certain disease outbreaks, local health authorities might recommend specific disinfection procedures to reduce the risk of spreading disease within the facility.
The Necessity of Following Instructions
Most, if not all, of the information you’ll need to correctly and efficiently use a cleaning product will be found on its bottle or container. The instructions are there for an important overall reason—following them ensures success.
“For any cleaning and disinfecting product, the product label is the best place for end-users to find information on safe and effective use of the product,” explained Kirsten Hochberg, senior clinical and scientific affairs specialist at CloroxPro, a division of The Clorox