Information on cleaning and killing bacteria, viruses and fungus is commonly misunderstood.
Following is some general information for you to better understand the differences in cleaning,
sanitizing and disinfecting. The information is pretty straight forward, but it’s good to know what bacteria
you are actually killing to best protect the people you’re being trusted to provide a healthy living facility.
Cleaning — Cleaning surfaces generally removes dirt and soil
from the top of a surface but leaves behind many of the allergens
and microorganisms. Most cleaning tools being used for cleaning
are spreading the matter around and not removing it. To remove
bacteria, you must use a proven microfiber with a 99.9% bacteria
removal rate.
Sanitizing — Sanitizing surfaces is meant to reduce, not
kill, the occurrence and growth of bacteria and viruses. A
sanitizer may reduce the number of bacteria present by 99.9%
(3 log reduction) if stated on the label. Sanitizing is better than
cleaning alone, but still leaves open cross contamination and the
opportunity for growth of bacteria, viruses & fungus. The FDA
(Food & Drug Administration) generally approves sanitizers (EPA
gets involved for kill claims in disinfecting).
Disinfecting — Disinfecting surfaces kills viruses, bacteria and
fungus, but is dependent on dwell time and the log reduction of
the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) registered disinfectant
being used. The higher the log reduction of the disinfect the less
bacteria that is left behind. The EPA must approve disinfectants,
their log reduction and dwell time required to kill bacteria.
Disinfecting works best if you clean the surface first.
For more information on cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting download the Infection Prevention With i-fiber® PDF pamphlet.