Understanding the Importance of Cleaning, Sanitizing and Disinfecting
Maintaining a clean and healthy facility requires more than just wiping down surfaces. To truly ensure the safety and well-being of your staff, customers, and visitors, it’s important to understand the critical differences between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting. Each of these processes plays a vital role in reducing germs and pathogens in your facility and contributes to a comprehensive disease prevention strategy.
Cleaning: The First Step in Reducing Contaminants
Cleaning is the first line of defense against germs and contaminants. According to the CDC, “Cleaning with products containing soap or detergent reduces germs on surfaces by removing contaminants and may also weaken or damage some of the virus particles, which decreases risk of infection from surfaces.” Cleaning involves removing dirt, dust, and debris, which can harbor germs, and it prepares surfaces for further treatment, such as sanitizing or disinfecting.
While cleaning helps reduce the number of germs on a surface, it doesn’t necessarily kill them. For example, when you wipe down high-touch surfaces like doorknobs or countertops, you’re cleaning them to remove visible dirt. However, this step alone isn’t enough to eliminate harmful pathogens entirely.
Sanitizing: Reducing Germs to Safe Levels
Sanitizing goes beyond cleaning by using chemicals or specialized equipment to reduce the number of germs on a surface to a level deemed safe by public health standards. It’s typically used on food contact surfaces or high-touch areas that require a lower level of pathogen presence to keep people safe.
Sanitizing doesn’t eliminate all germs but reduces them to a safer level. For example, in a commercial kitchen or public restroom, sanitizing the surfaces ensures that germs like bacteria are minimized to levels that pose less risk to health. While it’s a critical step in maintaining hygiene, it doesn’t guarantee total germ elimination.
Disinfecting: Killing Germs for Higher Protection
Disinfecting provides the highest level of germ control. Unlike sanitizing, disinfecting uses stronger chemicals or heat to kill a broad range of harmful pathogens, including viruses and bacteria. This step is necessary in environments where the risk of infection or disease transmission is higher, such as healthcare settings, schools, and industrial facilities.
Disinfecting should be done after cleaning to ensure that all surfaces are free of germs. For example, in medical facilities or public spaces, disinfecting high-touch surfaces like elevators, handrails, and doorknobs is essential in preventing the spread of infections, including viruses like COVID-19 or seasonal flu.
The Importance of Routine Disinfection
Daily or routine disinfection of shared surfaces plays a crucial role in preventing the spread of infectious diseases. The CDC recommends cleaning at least once a day in areas where no confirmed or suspected cases of illness are present. However, when viruses like COVID-19 are a concern, incorporating regular disinfection can help reduce the transmission of harmful pathogens.
Prioritizing personal hygiene, including frequent handwashing and disinfecting high-touch areas, is a fundamental preventative measure. Consistently washing your hands after touching surfaces in public areas, like doorknobs or elevator buttons, helps reduce the spread of germs and protects public health.
SmartClean®: A Commitment to Health and Hygiene
SmartClean® has been applying CDC protocols for over a decade, following the guidelines of the Cleaning Industry Management Standards – Green Building (CIMS-GBAC-GB). As part of our commitment to cleaning for health and not just for appearance, we use eco-friendly and biodegradable cleaning products. Our chemicals are based on green detergents and soap, ensuring that your facility is both clean and environmentally responsible.
At SmartClean®, sanitizing and disinfecting are integral to our service offerings. Our pledge to providing safe and healthy environments reflects our unwavering commitment to hygiene. By using the best and most efficient equipment and ensuring that our staff is well-trained, we strive to provide quality service with each cleaning.
Clorox® Total 360® System: A Revolutionary Cleaning Approach
At SmartClean®, we strive to provide only the best services and solutions for our customers, which is why we invested in the Clorox® Total 360® System. This cutting-edge system utilizes electrostatic technology to deliver a faster, more efficient cleaning experience. It allows us to cover up to 18,000 sq. ft. per hour, using 65% less solution and working up to four times faster than traditional methods.
The Clorox® Total 360® System works by charging disinfecting and sanitizing solutions, which are then attracted to surrounding surfaces with a force stronger than gravity. This unique technology ensures that the solution wraps and coats surfaces evenly, including even the hardest-to-reach areas that are often missed by manual cleaning. Whether in health clinics, office buildings, or schools, this technology offers a more thorough and effective cleaning.
By incorporating the Clorox® Total 360® System into our services, SmartClean® can efficiently treat facilities while ensuring a safer environment for everyone. This system not only provides a cleaner space but also saves our employees valuable time and labor, increasing the value we bring to our customers.
A Green Cleaning Approach to Combat All Viruses
With our green cleaning certification, SmartClean® uses environmentally friendly cleaning agents that are effective in combatting not only viruses like COVID-19 but all types of germs, bacteria, and pathogens. By staying informed about the latest guidelines and recommendations from experts, we continuously update our processes and training to ensure that our approach to cleaning remains effective and up-to-date.
Our Green Building certification ensures that we meet the highest standards for cleaning while using eco-friendly products. This commitment to sustainability not only protects the environment but also provides a safe and healthy environment for your facility.
Investing in Health and Safety
Protecting your facility through proper cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting isn’t just an investment in cleanliness—it’s an investment in the health and safety of everyone who enters your space. By following a proven system like SmartClean®’s, you ensure that your environment is free from harmful pathogens, reducing the risk of disease transmission and providing peace of mind.
We are committed to staying at the forefront of cleaning practices and technologies, ensuring that our systems remain effective and safe for all environments. As experts in cleaning for health, we’re here to help you maintain a safe, clean, and healthy facility, no matter your industry.
For more information on how SmartClean® can help you get back to cleaning basics, contact Sasha Francic, President of SmartClean®. Together, we can create safer, healthier spaces for everyone.