Disinfecting VS. Sanitizing: What’s The Difference?

The terms disinfect and sanitize are frequently interchanged when it comes to cleaning. However, there is a huge distinction between the two aspects  Our professional disinfection specialist in Kuala Lumpur highly recommend everyone to properly understand the meaning of these words. Telling the disparity between sanitization and disinfecting can assist you in determining which cleaning products to purchase and how to properly use them to maintain a clean and safe environment in your home.

So what is the key difference between sanitizing and disinfection? When should I utilize sanitizers or disinfectants? What do you consider as a sanitizing solution or a disinfecting one? In this article, we will answer all the needed information to help you out. So go forth and read on!

Disinfect vs Sanitize

While cleaning generally refers to the removal of dirt and other contaminants from a surface, disinfecting and sanitizing both go much further in removing dangerous bacteria. Knowing the difference between these deep cleaning concepts allows us to use our cleaning items safely and efficiently.

Germs on a surface are reduced to a safer amount, as determined by public health guidelines. Cleaning (which eliminates germs physically from surfaces) and disinfection (which fully kills germs). Sanitizing is like disinfecting but a bit gentler.

So, sanitizing applies to minimizing the number of germs on surfaces to a reasonable level by cleaning or disinfecting, while disinfecting refers to destroying nearly all bacteria that are present on the surfaces.

When Should You Disinfect?

Disinfecting, unlike sanitizing, would not be a regular part of the cleaning routine. It’s more popular in medical settings because it’s designed for severe messes like those containing bodily fluids.

However, if you want to disinfect your home, there are several areas that need to be properly treated. It’s ideal to disinfect those rooms that experience high-touch areas and heavy human traffic such as living rooms or dining areas but to give you a better insight, take note of these things to disinfect.

Bathroom: 

• Bathroom sinks and mirrors
• Your doorknob
• The toilet bowl’s handle
• The shower’s turn switch
• Your bidet handle

Kitchen:

• Refrigerator’s handle
• Kitchen sink and faucet
• Cabinet doorknobs
• Tables and chairs

Bed Room and Living Room: 

• Closet doorknobs
• Bedside table doorknobs
• Books and bookshelves
• Lamp and light switch
• Computer mouse and keyboard

What Do We Consider as a Disinfectant? 

Based on the KKM standards, a disinfectant must kill at least 99.999 percent of germs than 99.9 of a sanitizer. Although this difference might seem insignificant, this factor can make a big difference in lowering the risk of spreading infection. When you plan to disinfect your home, it’s good that you double-check your chosen solutions to ensure they can kill enough germs.

When Should You Sanitize?

Sanitize surfaces that don’t generally come into contact with harmful bacteria or that can be cleaned without the use of harsh chemicals. Children’s toys or cooking tools, for example, are the best items to sanitize because you don’t want them to come into contact with harsh chemicals.

If you want to be sure what items can be sanitized, check the list below:

• Books and notebooks
• Telephone and mobile phone
• Remote control
• Toothbrush and toothbrush holders
• Pens and pencils

What Do You Consider as a Sanitizer?

In order to consider a solution is a sanitizer is if the product is able to eradicate at least 99.9% of germs. A bleach solution and water that’s mixed together can be a disinfectant or a sanitizer, depending on the concentration of the chosen bleach. Remember:

• Higher bleach content solutions – disinfectant
• Lower bleach content solutions – sanitizer

Conclusion 

Knowing the key difference between sanitizing and disinfecting is a good step to properly set out a cleaning plan for your home or office. The next time you head out to the store and buy your cleaning products, be sure to keep all this information at heart!