What’s the Difference Between Cleaning and Sanitising?

When you manage an office building, it’s always important to know the difference between cleaning and sanitising. Many people use these terms interchangeably even though they have separate meanings. 

In any case, these processes are vital to having a healthy and productive working environment. Let’s take a moment to learn the distinctions between the two and how an office cleaning service can help your business achieve both with ease. 

What Does Cleaning Entail? 

Generally speaking, cleaning removes the visible dust, dirt, and other impurities from floors, walls, windows, and other surfaces. The methods used include sweeping with brooms, vacuuming, mopping, or wiping with cloths. 

Some common office cleaning chores include: 

• Wiping down work desks, shelves, and computers 

• Removing cobwebs from ceilings and walls

• Removing smudges from glass doors and windows

• Vacuuming the carpets, rugs, and upholstered furniture

• Sweeping and mopping the floors 

• Disposing of waste and washing the bins 

Depending on the cleaning solutions you use, the process may help remove germs. But it won’t reach the level that sanitising does. You could say cleaning prepares the surfaces for the more intensive work ahead. 

What Tasks Are Involved in Sanitising? 

Sanitation practices take matters a step further by decreasing the amount of germs on surfaces to a more acceptable level by public health standards. 

Some examples of such chores include wiping down handles and switches with antibacterial wipes or spraying sanitisers on restroom or pantry counters.

How Does Sanitising Differ From Disinfecting? 

If the former reduces germs to a safer number, the latter aims to kill all harmful pathogens on a surface. It’s become a common practice in workplaces during and after the COVID-19 pandemic in an effort to prevent the virus from spreading among employees and customers. 

To illustrate, if sanitising a toilet involved wiping it with antibacterial wipes, then disinfecting would entail treating the entire fixture with chemicals like bleach to kill the dangerous microorganisms on it. 

Why Does Your Office Need the Two?

A visually clean establishment doesn’t necessarily mean it’s safe and hygienic. Bacteria and viruses can spread from one worker to another just by touching contaminated objects. Sure, that spotless-looking desk might not have a speck of dirt on it, but germs can still lurk about.

By adequately cleaning and sanitising your office spaces, you can ensure that you have a presentable environment while protecting staff and guests from illnesses. This can reduce absenteeism and other problems that affect employee productivity. It will also keep you compliant with local health standards. 

A Professional Office Cleaning Crew Can Do Both For You

You might think it’s easy for your workers to thoroughly clean and sanitise their workstations and other rooms in the workplace. But they’ll likely fall short of your expectations especially if they’re already preoccupied with other assignments that are actually relevant to their jobs. 

Fortunately, you can lighten the load by outsourcing the clean-up and sanitation duties to an office cleaning company. They’ll work with you on a schedule that fits your specific requirements. 

Hiring a commercial cleaner also saves you from spending more on cleaning supplies and equipment. They already have the tools and training to get the job done consistently. 

Strive for a Clean and Sanitised Establishment

Understanding the differences between cleaning and sanitising helps us realise that our businesses can’t truly prosper without them. We need both processes to create the optimal working environment for our workers.

If you ever need more help maintaining hygienic conditions for your staff, just keep in mind that there are office cleaning services out there. They’ll give you and your people the peace of mind you deserve while at work.