If you’re hiring a cleaning service for your workplace, all of the different janitorial terms can get confusing. For example, you might be thrown off by the distinction between “commercial cleaning” and “commercial disinfection.”
While it can sometimes seem like these terms are used interchangeably, there’s an important difference between them. Complicating things even further, there’s also the matter of sanitization: a distinct term that falls somewhere between “cleaning” and “disinfection.”
To help you sort through the confusion, here’s a short guide to what commercial cleaning providers mean when they talk about cleaning, sanitization, and disinfection.
Commercial Cleaning
Commercial cleaning is an all-encompassing term, which can be used to describe varying types of cleaning and sanitation activities. At the most basic level, “cleaning” simply refers to the removal of surface dirt, dust, debris, stains, grime, and other visible signs of uncleanliness. However, cleaning doesn’t necessarily include the elimination of dangerous bacteria. Your janitorial service provider could technically “clean” your office and still leave it teeming with contagions.
That said, many cleaning professionals use the term “cleaning” or “commercial cleaning” as an umbrella term that includes sanitization and disinfection activities. At JAN-PRO®, for instance, our commercial cleaning services include detailed sanitization and disinfection of key areas in your work environment.
To avoid confusion, it’s best to ask potential cleaning providers whether their services include sanitization and disinfection, and if so, where these cleaning methods will be used in your workplace.
Commercial Sanitization
Sanitization is a term used for commercial cleaning practices that substantially reduce surface bacteria. Typically, sanitization refers to a 99.9% reduction in pathogens within 30 seconds.
While sanitization reduces the number of bacteria, viruses, and fungi on a given surface, it will not eliminate them completely. The germiest surfaces contain thousands upon thousands of bacteria per square inch. A 99.9% reduction will still leave pathogens behind, which will start to reproduce and recolonize the surface.
Commercial Disinfection
Disinfection is the term used for cleaning processes that effectively eliminate bacteria, viruses, and fungi from a surface within 5 to 10 minutes of cleaning. Disinfectants are far stronger than sanitizers, eliminating upward of 99.99% of germs after treatment.
A good example of commercial disinfection in action is our EnviroShield® system. EnviroShield® is a disinfection system that’s exclusively available through JAN-PRO commercial cleaning services. It uses a specialized application method to disinfect areas and surfaces that other disinfection systems can’t, while using one of the safest disinfectants available. EnviroShield® destroys 99.997% of pathogens on contact, and it eliminates more than 99.999% of pathogen with five minutes of dwell time.
Learn more about commercial cleaning, sanitization, and disinfection services available through your local JAN-PRO by calling 866-355-1064 today.