Generally, few methods of disinfection are used: physical cleaning (such as using disinfectant wipes or bleach on surfaces), chemical spraying/fogging, steam disinfecting and UV-C sterilization.
Cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting. What are the differences?
- Cleaning removes germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces or objects. Cleaning works by using soap (or detergent) and water to physically remove germs from surfaces. This process does not necessarily kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.
- Sanitizing lowers the number of germs on surfaces or objects to a safe level, as judged by public health standards or requirements.
- Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects. Disinfecting works by using chemicals or hot steam to kill germs on surfaces or objects. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.
Does steam cleaner kill 99% of viruses, germs, bacteria, and pathogens?
By providing a chemical-free cleaning alternative that can kill more than 99% of viruses, germs, bacteria, and pathogens, steam cleaners are perfectly suited for houses, offices, daycares and a variety of other facilities both commercial and industrial. Since steam cleaners have the ability to clean, sanitize and disinfect a wide variety of surfaces relying just on tap water without any chemicals, they are among the most efficient cleaning solutions on the market.
Steam cleaners are safer tools when it comes to a different environment, where each area requires its own specific cleaning solution, the versatility and efficiency of steam is crucial. You can't just spray the bleach or chlorine solution all around the kitchen and leave it without follow-up wiping and cleaning.
Steam uses heat and pressure to deep clean a variety of surfaces.
- It only contains about 5% water, allowing surfaces and fabrics to dry almost instantly.
- The higher the steam temperature, the more efficient of disinfectant steam becomes, making it easier to clean.
- Commercial steam cleaners reach temperatures up to 347°F, which guarantee to kill viruses, bacteria, molds, or any other contaminants effortlessly.
In fact, the Center Of Disease Control And Prevention (CDC) recommends steam as the preferred method in many cases. New research from Stanford AIM Lab has highlighted that heat and steam is an effective sanitization method for COVID-19.
The benefit of using steam to clean, disinfect and sanitize VS other methods such as chemical sprays and UV sterilization
There are many reasons why you should steam instead of chemicals:
- You can clean almost anything using steam. This includes your bathroom, toilets, floors, carpets, microwaves, laundry, etc.
- Steam cleaning doubles up as a way of sanitizing as well as getting rid of bedbugs and fleas.
- Some chemicals that are used for disinfecting services may be harmful to people who suffer from allergies. Pretty well-known that chemicals – oxidative chemicals like bleach and smother disinfectants – can kick off allergy attacks and asthma in people who are susceptible to those chemicals.
- Steam cleaning is friendly to people with asthma because it gets rid of dust mites and other allergens on the surface.
- Cleaning with steam is safe for children and pets.
- Cleaning with steam is 100% natural. This means that it is also environmentally friendly.
- Chemical disinfectants an additional budget. Steam canisters use only tap water which means they are way cheaper than using chemicals.
Chemical VS Steam
The most inexpensive chemical disinfectants have some gaps in their working spectrum and sometimes take a long time to disinfect. The typical chemical disinfectant will have a contact time of five to ten minutes. There are a few on the market with contact times as low as two or three minutes. Those tend to be fairly expensive.
The contact times, re-observed for the triangle brush with steam system, were on the order of seconds. They were so low, in fact, they’re actually very difficult to measure in the laboratory. But for your average microorganism, they were up between one and three seconds.
Taking a closer look at UV-C technology
While UV-C technology offers a quick way to effectively disinfect surfaces (mostly in healthcare settings), there are some limitations:
- Before it can be used, the room must be cleaned and prepped prior to running the system.
- Workers have to move the furniture, take things off of walls, anything that prevents the UV-C light from bouncing off of surfaces. If the light on the machine cannot reach the surface, it cannot disinfect it.
- Likewise, no workers shouldn’t be in the area when the UV-C system is working.
Cost of disinfecting services
When thinking about the total cost of disinfecting, three things come to mind:
- Labor cost, how much time it takes to disinfect.
- Supply cost, how much does the chemical or the device cost.
- Risks that can be posed by chemical disinfection.
Covering labor, that one’s pretty straight forward at how long it takes to treat a surface?
- So the chemical cost – you kind of get what you pay for, sometimes, with the chemical cost.
- Consumers can actually save by using steam vapor disinfection by taking a chemical-free approach, enabling people to avoid some of those potentially more costly outcomes among their cleaning staff.
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