When it comes to hygiene, the words “cleaning”, “sanitising” and “disinfecting” are often used interchangeably. There are, however, significant differences between these terms.
Knowing the proper definition of each could help you better protect your home, especially as the world enters its third pandemic year. Here are some broad descriptions.
- Cleaning
Cleaning generally removes dirt and dust from a space or surface, and can occasionally – but not always – get rid of microorganisms. It can be done with water alone, or with the aid of cleaning agents such as soaps and detergents, as well as cloths and scrubbing tools.
Hot water is generally recommended for effective cleaning as long as the surfaces are heat-resistant; but make sure the water is not so hot that it evaporates quickly or you run the risk of getting scalded.
- Sanitisation
Sanitising helps eliminate germs that could be harmful to one’s health, and is usually done with cleaning agents such as soaps, detergents or – aptly – sanitisers.
Sanitisation is crucial for hygiene especially in these pandemic times, and should be done in frequently populated areas and on often-touched objects such as doorknobs, switches and tabletops.
- Disinfection
Disinfecting completely kills bacteria, viruses and fungi on surfaces, and is usually done with the aid of chemical agents or strong organic cleaners that are specifically intended to eliminate microorganisms.
Disinfection can also involve technology such as ultraviolet light, which makes the environment sterile and unsuitable for harmful microbes to reproduce.
How often should it be done?
Depending on the size of the house, the number of occupants, and your individual hygiene preferences, you might want to clean your house on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
However, cleaning alone is generally superficial and does not completely eliminate the presence of bacteria and viruses in a space. Hence, sanitisation is an additional measure to reduce the presence of microbes on communal touch points such as door knobs, switches and taps.
Disinfecting the house should happen whenever there is the presence of virus-linked illnesses in the household. It is highly recommended that you conduct regular home disinfection to eliminate and reduce the risk of not only Covid-19, but also air- or food-borne microorganisms that could harm your health.
This article first appeared in kaodim.com.
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