Disinfectants and sanitizers. A lot of people believe these two types of chemical cleaners are the same. However, the informed cleaning professional company and individual are well aware that there are subtle but important differences between the two products.
The terms sanitizing and disinfecting have often been substituted for each other, thinking they refer to exactly the same thing. This confusion in naming these products is unfortunate as it results in confusion in both the cleaning industry and the public.
A Harmful but Common Misconception
The misunderstandings that result when the two products are confused can lead to the development of unsatisfactory cleaning procedures. This can be especially damaging in places such as hospitals, where the spread of harmful bacteria, that can often present a grave threat to the lives of patients, can result if surfaces are not cleaned properly.
It is therefore vital that we define what we mean by the terms sanitizing and disinfecting. Sanitizing can refer to the act of reducing germs on floors, counter tops and other surfaces, to levels that are mandated by laws and regulations relating to public health in a particular jurisdiction. Disinfecting on the other hand, refers to the act, usually through the use of chemicals, of destroying or at least incapacitating most, if not all, germs present.
Disinfecting will usually involve the use of commercial cleaning products which will kill surface bacteria, while sanitizing products are concerned with making floors and surfaces safe for humans.
Subtle Differences, but Important Differences
In terms of the relative efficiency of both sanitizing products and disinfecting products, there can be considerable variation, depending on the chemicals or brand type employed.
Sanitizing products typically are able to kill over 99% of germs. This shows that sanitizing products are capable of doing a great job in most situations. Obviously it is necessary that the sanitizing products be properly utilised in order for this rate of effectiveness to be accurate in every circumstance.
On the other hand, disinfecting products are widely thought to be superior in terms of their capacity to incapacitate or destroy harmful pathogens. Certain strains of unsafe bacteria and other nasties are sometimes immune to sanitizers. If this is the case, it's important that a disinfectant be used for this cleaning. So, if the situation arises where you have the choice of using a sanitizer or a disinfectant, you should probably opt for the disinfecting product. Click here to find more about house cleaners.
You will often find that sanitizers are quicker than disinfectants at killing pathogens. Typically, sanitizers will work sufficiently well in less than a minute, while disinfectants can require longer, usually several minutes.
As we can see, there are subtle but important differences between sanitizing and disinfecting. It will be obvious then, that there are suitable situations in which both sanitizers and disinfectants can be used. It is crucial that cleaning professionals understand the difference, and the appropriate occasions on which to utilise each type of product.
The terms sanitizing and disinfecting have often been substituted for each other, thinking they refer to exactly the same thing. This confusion in naming these products is unfortunate as it results in confusion in both the cleaning industry and the public.
A Harmful but Common Misconception
The misunderstandings that result when the two products are confused can lead to the development of unsatisfactory cleaning procedures. This can be especially damaging in places such as hospitals, where the spread of harmful bacteria, that can often present a grave threat to the lives of patients, can result if surfaces are not cleaned properly.
It is therefore vital that we define what we mean by the terms sanitizing and disinfecting. Sanitizing can refer to the act of reducing germs on floors, counter tops and other surfaces, to levels that are mandated by laws and regulations relating to public health in a particular jurisdiction. Disinfecting on the other hand, refers to the act, usually through the use of chemicals, of destroying or at least incapacitating most, if not all, germs present.
Disinfecting will usually involve the use of commercial cleaning products which will kill surface bacteria, while sanitizing products are concerned with making floors and surfaces safe for humans.
Subtle Differences, but Important Differences
In terms of the relative efficiency of both sanitizing products and disinfecting products, there can be considerable variation, depending on the chemicals or brand type employed.
Sanitizing products typically are able to kill over 99% of germs. This shows that sanitizing products are capable of doing a great job in most situations. Obviously it is necessary that the sanitizing products be properly utilised in order for this rate of effectiveness to be accurate in every circumstance.
On the other hand, disinfecting products are widely thought to be superior in terms of their capacity to incapacitate or destroy harmful pathogens. Certain strains of unsafe bacteria and other nasties are sometimes immune to sanitizers. If this is the case, it's important that a disinfectant be used for this cleaning. So, if the situation arises where you have the choice of using a sanitizer or a disinfectant, you should probably opt for the disinfecting product. Click here to find more about house cleaners.
You will often find that sanitizers are quicker than disinfectants at killing pathogens. Typically, sanitizers will work sufficiently well in less than a minute, while disinfectants can require longer, usually several minutes.
As we can see, there are subtle but important differences between sanitizing and disinfecting. It will be obvious then, that there are suitable situations in which both sanitizers and disinfectants can be used. It is crucial that cleaning professionals understand the difference, and the appropriate occasions on which to utilise each type of product.