Disinfectants vs. Cleaners: Which One Do You Need?

Maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in a building is essential for the health of its occupants. Moreover, it contributes to the aesthetic appeal of the property. Cleaning and disinfection are the terms interchangeably used for this task. This is indeed a confusing usage as cleaning and disinfection are entirely different tasks. Understanding the difference between the two will help choose between a cleaning solution and a disinfecting antiseptic liquid 5 litre available in hygiene stores.

The following sections are intended to spotlight these differences to enable customers for the right choices.

Cleaners: An Overview

Cleaners are solutions designed to remove dirt, grime, and dust from surfaces. They remove these impurities by employing physical wiping which results in spotless surfaces. The ultimate aim of cleaners is to leave surfaces looking pristine. Here germs or bacteria are left untreated. Regular application of cleaners is good for the aesthetic looks of the surfaces.

Applications of Cleaners

Surface preparation and general maintenance are their basic utilities. Other specific applications of cleaners include:

• Kitchen Cleaning: It helps remove food residues, grease, and spills from stovetops, countertops, and appliances. Thus a clean cooking environment is ensured.
• Bathroom Cleaning: A fresh bathroom space devoid of soap scum, hard water stains, and other general dirt is ensured by a cleaner.
• Floor Cleaning: Regular application of cleaners helps to remove spills and dirt from floorings resulting in a better lifespan of flooring materials.
• Window and Glass Cleaning: Cleaners specifically designed for glass surfaces help to remove smudges and spots from those surfaces resulting in their sparkling shine.

What are Disinfectants?

Disinfectants are solutions that are specifically formulated to kill or deactivate bacteria, germs, and other harmful microorganisms from surfaces. While cleaners are ideal for surfaces that don’t come into contact with harmful viruses disinfectants are a necessity to ensure optimum sanitation in such surfaces.

Even the World Health Organisation (WHO) emphasizes the importance of disinfectants in public health strategies to control the spread of infectious diseases. Meanwhile, a 2018 research published in the American Journal of Infection Control showed that the use of disinfectants in household cleaning reduced the chances of influenza virus on surfaces by about 90 % compared to traditional cleaning solutions.

Applications of Disinfectants

• High-Touch Surfaces: Door knobs, handrails, and switches are high-touch surfaces that foster pathogens due to frequent contact. Having an antiseptic liquid 5 litre will enable property management to consistently sanitize these surfaces.
• Food Preparation Areas: The US Food and Drug Administration’s Food Code mandates the need for disinfectants in food service environments. Kitchen counters, cutting boards, and food preparation equipment could be breeding grounds for bacteria like Salmonella and E. Coli threatening the safety of food.
• Health Care Settings: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) observes that healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) affect about 1 in 31 hospital patients per day. This necessitates the role of sanitizing disinfectants in healthcare settings.
• Childcare Facilities: Whether it is a childcare facility or a space where children engage disinfectants have a crucial role in deterring the spread of infectious diseases among them.

So here we have dealt with a basic idea of cleaners and disinfectants as well as their common applications. By now you might have found yourself equipped with the necessary information to choose between the two. However, it must be remembered that a disinfectant is effective only on clean surfaces. They don’t take up the role of cleaner. So even if you managed to have an antiseptic liquid 5 litre in your cleaning arsenal a combined application of cleaners and disinfectants are found to be most effective for sanitization.

Here comes another crucial question. Where to find the best cleaning and disinfecting solutions in the UAE. Hygiene For All with an ecommerce store that delivers hygiene products from reputed brands is here at your service.