The Difference Between Cleaning and Sanitising 2024

Cleaning and sanitising serve distinct purposes but are both essential for hygiene. Cleaning removes visible dirt, grease, and debris from surfaces, improving their appearance. Sanitising reduces harmful microorganisms to safe levels, particularly on high-risk surfaces like food contact areas. Cleaning should always precede sanitising to ensure effectiveness, as dirt can shield pathogens from sanitising agents. Methods like dusting, mopping, or scrubbing are common for cleaning, while sanitising employs chemicals, heat, or steam to neutralize pathogens.

Ensuring regular and proper cleaning and sanitising practices is crucial for maintaining public health and hygiene, particularly in Healthcare, Construction, Agriculture, Food processing, Hospitality and Manufacturing.

What is Sanitising?

Sanitising is the process of reducing harmful pathogens, including viruses, germs, and bacteria, on clean surfaces to safe levels.

Unlike cleaning, which removes visible dirt and debris, sanitising focuses on sterilizing surfaces to ensure health and safety. It uses heat, chemicals, or other approved methods like alcohol-based solutions with over 70% ethanol to effectively neutralize threats like SARS-CoV-2.

To maximise its effectiveness, sanitising should follow a four-step process: cleaning the surface, rinsing it, applying a sanitiser, and allowing the surface to dry. Proper sanitisation is critical for maintaining hygiene in homes, workplaces, and commercial businesses.

Key Takeaways for You

• Cleaning involves removing visible dirt and grime from surfaces, while sanitising specifically targets microorganisms.
• Cleaning improves the visual appearance of a surface, whereas sanitising ensures safety by reducing pathogens.
• Cleaning must precede sanitising; visible dirt can shield microorganisms from sanitising agents.
• Cleaning uses methods like dusting and mopping, while sanitising employs heat, steam, or chemicals to kill pathogens.
• Different surfaces require tailored cleaning and sanitising approaches to ensure maximum effectiveness.

Surface-Specific Practices

Countless surfaces in our everyday spaces demand specific cleaning and sanitising care. High-traffic areas, like kitchen equipment and door handles, need regular cleaning to remove visible dirt and prevent the buildup of grease.

Food contact areas, bathrooms, and communal spaces should be sanitised to eliminate harmful microorganisms, particularly in health-sensitive locations such as hospitals and schools. Proper sanitising methods, using the right cleaning tools, are vital for surfaces that come into contact with food to prevent cross-contamination.

You must remember that different surface types require specific cleaning and sanitising approaches. For instance, utensils should be cleaned thoroughly before being sanitised to guarantee effective pathogen elimination.

Regular sanitisation in homes and commercial spaces is increasingly essential to maintaining hygiene and protecting against the spread of infections.

Methods and Compounds Used

Moving from the varied surfaces in our homes and workplaces, let’s now explore the different methods and compounds used in cleaning and sanitising.

You’re likely familiar with dusting, mopping, and vacuuming, but these cleaning methods only remove visible dirt. A deeper level of cleanliness is achieved by sanitising. Using heat, steam, radiation, or chemicals like chlorine, you can kill 99.99% of pathogens, ensuring sanitising effectiveness.

Cleaning agents range from vinegar to baking soda, while sanitising agents often contain alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. Remember to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper usage.

Even your dishwasher can join the sanitising team, using the longest and hottest cycle to reduce pathogens.

Cleaning and sanitising are two distinct steps, each with their unique methods and compounds.

Importance and Benefits of Professional Services

While you may be adept at regular cleaning, hiring professional cleaning services in Canberra can take your sanitisation standards to the next level. They employ industry-standard methods, wiping out up to 99.99% of pathogens.

You’ll appreciate the time savings as your staff focuses on core operations, leaving the cleanliness to experts. Professional services offer tailored solutions, adjusting their packages to meet your specific needs.

This is especially vital during peak illness seasons, reducing infection risks in high-traffic environments. Even beyond that, pros know the right techniques and safety guidelines, minimizing risks connected to DIY attempts.

Sanitising for Food Businesses

In the bustling world of food businesses, maintaining the cleanliness of all premises, including fixtures, fittings, equipment, and transport vehicles, is a non-negotiable mandate.

You’re required to prevent accumulation of food scraps, garbage, and grease as they can harbour harmful microorganisms. Ensuring utensils and surfaces that contact food are clean and sanitary is essential, adhering to Standard 3.2.2 – Food Safety Practices and General Requirements.

Regular inspections are necessary for regulatory compliance, upholding food safety protocols. Staff training on proper cleaning, which involves removing dirt and waste, and sanitising, which destroys microorganisms, is a must.

Sanitising for Manufacturing Plants

Sanitising manufacturing plants involves structured protocols to ensure the health and safety of employees while maintaining operational efficiency. Here are essential steps:

• Dedicate a Cleaning Shift: Schedule a specific shift for sanitising shared workspaces and train employees to clean their stations at the start and end of shifts.
• Use Professional Equipment: Use chemicals for SARS-CoV-2, color-coded spray bottles, microfiber towels, and professional dispensers to ensure correct chemical dilution.
• Educate on Dwell Time: Train workers on proper chemical dwell times (3-10 minutes) to allow disinfectants to remain effective on surfaces.
• Disinfect Tools: Sanitize tools regularly, especially when changing workstations, using EPA-approved chemicals.
• Sanitise Common Areas and Electronics: Clean frequently touched surfaces, break room fixtures, door handles, and shared electronics like keyboards and touchscreens using wipeable covers and approved disinfectants.
• Implement Fogging for Large Spaces: Use industrial foggers for sanitising large or hard-to-reach areas, including racking systems, ventilation, and stacked inventory.

By adhering to these practices, manufacturing plants can maintain cleanliness, reduce infection risks, and ensure employee safety.

Sanitising for Medical Centres and Hospitals

Effective sanitising in medical facilities is essential for maintaining hygiene, ensuring safety, and protecting the wellbeing of patients, staff, and visitors. Key practices include:

• Implement Strict Hand Hygiene Protocols: Encourage frequent handwashing and use of hand sanitisers with at least 70% ethanol content to minimise infection risks.
• Follow Cleaning and Sanitisation Standards: Use professional healthcare cleaning services that adhere to stringent medical-grade standards to eliminate pathogens common in medical settings.
• Target High-Touch Surfaces: Regularly sanitise areas like patient beds, doorknobs, medical instruments, and shared equipment to mitigate contamination.
• Employ Proven Products and Techniques: Utilize evidence-based recommendations, Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved disinfectants, and advanced cleaning methods to ensure thorough sanitisation.
• Leverage Experience: Rely on professionals with decades of expertise in medical sanitisation to maintain the highest standards of cleanliness and patient care.

Prioritising comprehensive cleaning and sanitising protocols ensures that healthcare facilities remain safe environments conducive to excellent patient care.

Sanitising for Education Facilities & Schools

Maintaining a clean and germ-free environment in schools is critical for reducing illness and promoting health among students and staff. Here are essential sanitising practices for educational institutions:

• Understand the Cleaning Hierarchy:
  • Cleaning: Removes visible dirt and germs using soap or detergent, reducing germ count and preparing surfaces for sanitisation.
  • Disinfecting: Kills germs on cleaned surfaces, preventing infection spread.
  • Sanitising: Reduces germ levels to safe public health standards and should be done regularly, even between cleans.
• Use Approved Disinfectants: Select products that kill at least 99.9% of germs, have short contact times (≤15 minutes), and are safe for children, avoiding strong odors or irritants. Train staff in their proper application.
• Focus on High-Touch Areas: Frequently disinfect door handles, desks, shared stationery, and other hotspots at least twice daily (e.g., during lunch and after school). Use schedules to ensure consistency.
• Prioritise Washroom Hygiene: Clean and disinfect communal washrooms regularly. Methods like fogging can efficiently sanitise spaces, though additional cleaning of high-contact surfaces is advised.
• Hire Professional Cleaning Services: Employ trained professionals familiar with school cleaning protocols for thorough deep cleans and daily maintenance.

Adopting these measures ensures a healthier environment, reduces absenteeism, and promotes safety in educational facilities.

Sanitising for Offices and Workplaces

Maintaining a clean and sanitised office environment is crucial for employee health and workplace safety. Implement these best practices to ensure effective sanitisation:

• Establish a Cleaning Plan: Develop a clear schedule detailing what needs to be cleaned, how often, and who is responsible for cleaning specific areas.
• Disinfect High-Touch Surfaces Frequently: Clean and disinfect items like keyboards, mice, desks, chair arms, doorknobs, and light switches at least twice daily. Use disinfectant wipes or sprays for convenience.
• Focus on Common Areas: Regularly clean and disinfect break rooms, conference rooms, and restrooms. Remove food crumbs to deter pests and maintain hygiene.
• Empty Trash Regularly: Prevent odor and pest problems by ensuring trash bins are emptied before they overflow.
• Clean and Maintain Floors: Vacuum daily in high-traffic areas using HEPA filters. Ensure lower-traffic areas are cleaned weekly.
• Encourage Proper Hygiene: Stock restrooms with soap, paper towels, and hand sanitiser to promote regular handwashing among employees.
• Use Protective Covers and Equipment: Install wipeable keyboard covers and use disposable cleaning materials to simplify sanitisation processes.

Hiring a professional cleaning service like Spec Services can ensure the highest sanitisation standards are met, with tailored cleaning plans to suit your office needs.

Cleaning and Sanitising Techniques

Now that you’re aware of the regulations and their importance, let’s explore some effective cleaning and sanitising techniques.

Start by using proper cleaning tools to scrape, wash, and rinse surfaces, eliminating visible dirt and food waste.

Next, sanitise by soaking items in very hot water or treating them with alcohol.

Remember, sanitising frequency matters. It’s a must to clean before sanitising for best results, as sanitising can’t remove dirt or debris.

If using bleach, adhere to specific dilution ratios and maintain contact time for effective disinfection.

Conclusion

To sum up, it’s crucial to understand the difference between cleaning and sanitising. Cleaning removes visible dirt, while sanitising eliminates unseen germs. Depending on the surface, different methods and compounds are needed. For food businesses, it’s a legal requirement. Consider professional services for thorough sanitisation. Remember, maintaining a clean, germ-free environment isn’t just about appearance, it’s about health. So, don’t just clean, sanitise. It’s a simple step with significant benefits. Let’s make it a habit!

Get Professional Commercial Sanitising Services in Canberra Today

Ready to safely handle your sanitising needs? Contact Spec Services today for professional sanitation solutions in Canberra. Call Now 1300 999 885 to Schedule!

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