Cleaning vs. Disinfecting: The Difference You Should Know

May 5, 2020

The rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus has caused a lot of us to take a closer look at the way we thought about cleaning, and for good reason. Our commercial cleaning company has helped business owners keep their space immaculate for over 30 years, and we want to share some of our best cleaning practices with you. 

The most important tip we can give our audience is to clean with a purpose. Part of that is fully understanding the process of effectively ridding a surface of bacteria, viruses, or other harmful germs. Let’s look at the differences between disinfecting and cleaning, how to properly implement both into your routine, and why business owners should hire Image One to alleviate ongoing anxiety caused by dangerous pathogens.  

Cleaning vs. Disinfecting 

Did you know that the COVID-19 virus can live on a surface area anywhere between 2-3 days? It only takes a brief moment for the virus to travel, but by properly cleaning and disinfecting all high-risk surfaces you can certainly mitigate the risk. 

You may be asking yourself, “What’s the difference between disinfecting and cleaning?” Well, cleaning is simply the process of removing the top layer of germs and dirt from a surface. Practicing good cleaning habits might be better than doing nothing at all, however, if you want to go beneath the surface, you need to disinfect as well. 

Unlike cleaning, disinfectant solutions are designed to kill germs rather than simply remove them. If you are practicing cleaning alone, there is a chance you could unintentionally cross-contaminate your surfaces because the germs have only been removed, not eliminated. 

This is not to say that cleaning and disinfecting should not be both integrated into your full cleaning process. If you are at home trying to perfect this process yourself, we encourage you to read the label of your solutions to first understand what your cleaning agent is designed to do. Then take the necessary steps to clean low-risk areas, and disinfect the areas of your property that are frequently used (doorknobs, remote controls, faucets etc.). 

Dwell Time: Why It’s Important 

As a professional commercial cleaning company with decades of industry experience, we know the significance of dwell time and understand that not everyone is aware of how important it is when disinfecting a surface. You might be surprised to learn that some of the all-purpose disinfectants commonly used need a required amount of contact time to kill all 99.9% of germs. When you spray and wipe a cleaning solution on a surface, you might not be getting the job done right. In fact, some solutions take upwards of 10 minutes to fully kill germs and bacteria. By taking a closer look at the products you are using, you might be able to achieve the results you were losing. 

The Image One Difference 

What all of this means is that a proper clean might take more thought and consideration than you thought. The average workweek is stressful enough, and once we turn a corner as a society, things might be even busier than before. All of this is just a long way of saying that we understand business owners have much more on their minds than cleaning a doorknob. 

When you hire Image One, you turn your cleaning afterthoughts into the priority they should be. Our commercial cleaning company offers daily cleaning services that go beyond the surface to make sure your business is safe from the dangers of bacteria and germs. We can bring the fresh new approach to cleaning that your business needs, with professional tactics that get the job done right. Don’t think of cleaning as “business as usual” anymore, embrace the new normal with Image One. 

Do you want to take the next step in protecting your business from germs and bacteria? Contact our commercial cleaning company today!