Sanitizing or Disinfecting: Which One Am I Doing

(Newswire.net — April 27, 2022) —

Although we use words like “sanitize” and “disinfect” interchangeably when talking about cleaning in general, these words aren’t exactly synonymous. They are similar in the sense that you need to clean a surface of dirt, food, and other removable debris before you can properly sanitize or disinfect it. After that, they differ more significantly than you might think. Discover their differences below to understand what you’ve been doing all this time.

What Does It Mean to Sanitize?

Right off the bat, sanitizing simply refers to the process of getting rid of enough germs to be safe. This level of safety is determined by the  NPHPS (The National Public Health Performance Standards). 

Sanitizing typically happens more often, and is easier than disinfecting. It’s what you do to the surfaces you and your family use every day. The most common example of sanitizing that we’re familiar with is the basic hand sanitizer. Getting rid of 99% of germs is the message we’ve always heard and the sentiment can be applied to all sanitizing products.

Try water with a smaller ratio of bleach to sanitize things around your home. You can also buy sanitizing wipes and other products from the store that can get the job done as well.

What Does It Mean to Disinfect?

Disinfecting is the process of using chemicals or other means to actually kill those germs instead of just removing them. This process typically happens less frequently than sanitizing. When disinfecting with chemicals, the chemicals used are more potent and of higher concentrations than when you sanitize. 

How to Disinfect

You can disinfect surfaces in many ways. We explore a few below:

1. Bleach/Water Ratio

Bleach can be used to sanitize or disinfect depending on the ratio you choose of bleach to water. The more bleach you add means you are disinfecting. It’s also important to use caution when working with bleach because it can cause harm if used incorrectly or in too high a volume. Check out this resource to make sure you are using safe bleaching techniques. 

2. Other Chemical Cleaners

 

There are plenty of branded disinfecting products you can find at the store. Make sure to carefully read labels and choose the right products for your disinfecting needs. It’s also important to keep these chemicals in the containers you bought them in just in case an issue arises. The warnings, uses, and directions you can find on a product are to help you use it as safely as possible. It can also help you know what to do if something goes wrong.

3. UV Light

UV Light has recently been used in a fairly new technology developed to disinfect air and surfaces. Although UV light disinfection is typically used more commercially than in individual homes, it’s still a way people have found good results.

Which To Choose

Both! Most people are simply cleaning and sanitizing their surfaces. You should consider disinfecting your home on a predetermined schedule (ex. Once a month). It’s probably best to pick a day when kids aren’t around and you don’t have to worry about their safety. Sanitizing should be done regularly to make sure your family is as safe as possible. Use your own discretion, and make sure you know exactly what’s in your products to avoid issues. Happy cleaning, happy sanitizing, and happy disinfecting.