The Differences Between Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting

We all know that establishing effective hygiene practices is the only way to maintain a healthy environment, but it’s surprising how often basic misunderstandings lead to unfortunate lapses. Knowing the difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting is crucial; get it wrong, and the surface you think is safe for food prep, or just normal family contact suddenly becomes a breeding ground for salmonella or other pathogens. Each process uniquely combats germs and bacteria. And yet, not all products are created equal. A simple cleaning solution isn’t likely to effectively sanitize or disinfect an area. It might look clean, but there could very well be an unseen germ-rave spreading over your worktop.

So, What are the Differences Between Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting?

The terms ‘cleaning’, ‘sanitizing’, and ‘disinfecting’ are often used interchangeably, and therein lies the issue. Each involves unique products and processes, and represents a specific level of surface hygiene:

• Cleaning refers to the removal of dirt, impurities and, perhaps, some germs from surfaces. It’s primarily about making surfaces visually clean and removing substances that could feed bacteria and other microorganisms.

• Sanitizing aims to reduce the number of germs on surfaces to a safe level, as determined by public health standards, through the use of various chemicals. “Sanitized” is a high hygienic standard that is particularly important in environments like kitchens and bathrooms, where maintaining a baseline level of microbial cleanliness is crucial for health.

• Disinfecting also involves using chemicals to reduce germ levels on surfaces. However, wherein sanitizing focuses primarily on bacteria, disinfecting broadens that focus to also include the reduction of viruses. Disinfecting is most critical in places like hospitals or during outbreaks of illnesses like the flu or COVID-19, where the highest level of surface hygiene is needed.

Because each level requires different products and methods, understanding when and where to employ what ensures the most effective maintenance of clean and healthy environments. For optimal results, integrating all three processes into regular maintenance routines can provide comprehensive protection against potential health hazards.

Cleaning: The Foundation

Cleaning, or “pre-cleaning,” is an indispensable first step in any hygiene protocol when visible dirt and debris are present on a surface. Cleaning targets organic materials, soils, and other matter that can harbor germs, clearing the way for more effective sanitization or disinfection while also potentially lowering the risk of infection by reducing microbial presence.

When developing PermaSafe CLEAN we realized we could elevate this process by employing surfactants and cleaning agents to break down and lift dirt, soils and oils from surfaces, allowing for easy removal. This action creates a sparklingly clean finish, while often decreasing the bacterial load, and preparing surfaces for the deeper microbial reduction achieved through subsequent sanitizing or disinfecting.

Beyond Basic Cleaning: Sanitizing

Sanitizing kicks things up a significant notch, reducing the number of germs on surfaces to levels considered safe by public health codes. Sanitizing, or sanitized, is also an EPA Antimicrobial Standard that stipulates the elimination of at least 99.9% of harmful bacteria, but does not require nor include the elimination of viruses. Sanitizing is a less extreme measure than disinfecting, and is ideal for less critical areas that may carry bacteria, but don’t require the more aggressive chemical annihilation that some higher risk areas do.

Unlike other disinfectants, which are only EPA registered for safe, effective use on hard, nonporous surfaces, CLEAN is also an EPA registered sanitizer, and the rare product that also safely and effectively eliminates harmful bacteria on soft, porous surfaces, which include fabrics, carpets, other textiles, and more. Additionally, and perhaps even more impressively, CLEAN is also an FDA approved, NSF International certified, food contact surface sanitizer that eliminates 99.999% of bacteria on food contact surfaces within 60 seconds, with no rinsing or wiping required after it’s applied. And it performs these rare feats AFTER being diluted 9 parts tap water to one part CLEAN, making it not only incredibly versatile, but also cost effective.

Disinfecting: A Higher Level of Germ Control

Disinfecting, or disinfected, is an EPA Antimicrobial Standard that stipulates the elimination of at least 99.9% of both bacteria and viruses. The result is more comprehensive microbial control, which is crucial for select surfaces in environments where the risk of infection is high, like medical facilities, schools, and public transport systems.

CLEAN was formulated to set a considerably higher germ reduction standard, as it earned the designation of “Hospital” disinfectant, which means it’s effective against more pathogens than disinfectants that fall into the other two EPA categories of disinfectants: Limited and General. Further, because CLEAN has also proven effective against fungi, in addition to the required bacteria and viruses, it has also earned the label “Broad Spectrum.”

However, by far the most telling validation of CLEAN’s germicidal potency is it’s EPA classification as “Tuberculocidal,” a designation reserved for Hospital Disinfectants that have proven effective against Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, a notoriously difficult to eliminate pathogen. Tuberculocidal is also an antimicrobial benchmark that signifies an Advanced Level Disinfectant with considerably higher germicidal potency that’s effective against a much broader range of pathogens, including such antimicrobial resistant ones as Hepatitis A, B & C, MRSA, Clostridium Difficile, Norovirus, Adenovirus, Poliovirus and others.

The CDC designates Non-Tuberculocidal Hospital Disinfectants as Low-Level Disinfectants, and Tuberculocidal Hospital Disinfectants as Intermediate-Level, the highest level any disinfectant cleaner can achieve. It’s also important to note that CLEAN meets, and exceeds, the CDC’s criteria of An Ideal Disinfectant.

This superior level of disinfection ensures that surfaces are both visibly clean and microbiologically secure, offering not only a higher degree of protection against potential health threats, but also peace of mind.

A Few Practical Tips

Whether you’re cleaning, sanitizing, or disinfecting CLEAN provides the perfect solution. And here are a few practical tips you can use to maximize efficiency and make things as effective as possible:

• For Cleaning: Focus on reducing surface debris, spills and other foreign matter before starting, as this will make cleaning surfaces easier and more thorough. Then, apply CLEAN as needed to remove any remaining soils or stains, using  microfiber cloths or high-quality sponges to trap and remove dirt and grime effectively without spreading it around. Remember, cleaning is an important first step before sanitizing or disinfecting any surface that contains visible debris that could keep your sanitizer or disinfectant from properly contacting it.

• For Sanitizing: CLEAN safely and effectively sanitizes virtually every type of surface and material found in practically every type of residential, commercial, or industrial building, or environment. From flooring and carpets, to walls and windows, and most everything in between CLEAN offers a sanitization solution. And because CLEAN is Food Contact Surface Safe, eliminates 99.999% of food-borne bacteria within 60 seconds, and requires no rinsing or wiping after it’s applied, it’s a time-saving, safety-enhancing MUST for kitchens, and every surface in them that’s used to store, prep, cook, serve, or consume food or beverages.

• For Disinfecting: While “sanitized” is a very high level of cleanliness and germ reduction, there are surfaces that should always be disinfected, and environmental conditions that can make disinfection necessary for others. Disinfection should always be the goal for hard, high-contact surfaces such as light switches, doorknobs, drawer pulls and cabinet handles, as well as sinks, toilets and most every other hard bathroom surface. Disinfection is also a must for hard surfaces in medical settings, as well as in any home, workplace or other space during a pandemic or when someone is ill, illness prone, or has a compromised immune system.

• Tools and Techniques: Use separate color-coded cloths or sponges for different areas (e.g., bathrooms, kitchens, general areas) to prevent cross-contamination. Regularly wash and replace these tools to maintain their effectiveness.

• Safety Measures: Despite CLEAN being one of the very few disinfectant cleaners to earn a “Category IV” toxicity rating from the EPA, the very lowest toxicity rating any such product can be awarded, and one that means no Hazard Warnings or Precautionary Statements are required on its labels, no rinsing is required after it’s applied, even on Food Contact and Medical Surfaces, and no gloves, masks, or other Personal Protection Equipment (“PPE”) are necessary when applying it, there are cases when you should protect yourself from the surfaces, or what’s on the surfaces, you are treating. PPE should be used as needed when treating mold, fungi, other microbial growth or contaminates, or when working on abrasive, fragile, or otherwise potentially hazardous surfaces, or surfaces containing dust or other debris.

A Comprehensive Solution

The easiest way to avoid issues with the difference between cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting is to use a product that effectively allows you to do all three. PermaSafe CLEAN is more than just a disinfectant; it’s a comprehensive solution that excels in cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting and much more. CLEAN is also suitable for use on just about every type of surface and material in almost every residential, commercial, industrial and institutional space and environment.

For detailed usage instructions and to learn more about the benefits of PermaSafe CLEAN across various surfaces and hygiene-enhancing tasks, visit our FAQ page.