Understanding the Differences Between Cleaning, Disinfecting and Sanitizing

It is estimated that businesses lose 576 billion dollars each year due to employees taking time off for illness. So with cold and flu season in full swing, many businesses are interested in how to keep their employees healthy. In addition to encouraging personal hygiene practices among their staff such, handwashing and using sanitizer. Businesses can also reduce employee illnesses by making sure the workplace is kept clean and is as germ free as possible. One key to this is understanding the difference in the cleaning methods used by your janitorial staff.

Cleaning alone will always contribute favorably to the health of those in a particular indoor environment. Basic cleaning will remove some allergens and microorganisms However, regular cleaning only removes visible dirt or debris. In the absence of a germicide, there is also a risk of cross contamination. For example, the cleaning tools may come in contact with bacteria on a bathroom counter and if used on another sur that tools may actually spread the bacteria to versus cleaning it.

Due to this issue, cleaning companies will generally use one of two methods to remove potentially harmful bacteria that is not visible to the naked eye. One process is called sanitizing and the other is disinfecting. Though the two terms are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between the two methods. Sanitizers are agents that destroy up to 99 percent of bacteria within 30 seconds of the agent being applied. Additionally, sanitizing does not kill viruses or fungi Disinfectants use a stronger solution and will destroy 100 percent of harmful organisms within ten minutes of application, including those viruses that cause colds and flu.

Sanitizing is the less costly of the two processes; however, the highest cost component of the cleaning process is labor and since it takes the same amount of labor to apply sanitizer as it does to apply disinfectant, the cost differential between the two is mere 2 to 5 percent difference This cost increase is minute when compared to the cost of employee absence due to illness. In conclusion, spending a little extra would not only protect employee health but could also boost overall company productivity.