Always read the label!

The difference between cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting and decontaminating.

All bacterial and viral pathogens are in the micron-sized range. Not visible to the human eye. So many people believe that if a surface looks clean, it is safe to touch. But is it really? While infection prevention is a priority for most businesses and public places, there is still a need for improved cleaning protocols that can help ensure public health and safety.

It has also been erroneously reported that the risk of becoming infected by touching surfaces is extremely low. This is of course true, if you do not touch the surfaces around you nor touch your face after touching a surface, in which case it is astronomical. It seems that recent studies indicate that we touch our faces about 23 times per hour https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25637115/

Knowing that, it can be hard to picture the sheer number (tens of millions) of viruses and pathogens that may be resting on a pen, cell phone, keyboard, desktop, doorknob, dollar bill or any of the other hundreds of things we touch a day. What do you think of those odds?

The decision on which product to use has been unfortunately made by an organizations janitorial staff in conjunction with their current janitorial supply company. Without the aid of an actual micro-biologist or medical consultant, most organizations within the United States have been underserved and infected. Australia, New Zealand and Canada to name a few, have followed the science community’s recommendations and have mitigated their exposure exponentially compared to the U.S. That is why it’s imperative to know the differences between cleaning, sanitizing, disinfecting and decontaminating.

Cleaning

The main purpose of cleaning is to remove visible soil, stains, debris, microorganisms and organic substances from surfaces using soap and water. The process of cleaning does not kill germs but may reduce their numbers. The technical term is called “bio-mass” which can mean anything from dust to brain matter.

Just cleaning has been recently associated with “super-spreading” as it typically just moves dangerous pathogens from one surface to another. Using a contaminated rag from another customer or room is irresponsible.

Typically, surfaces require cleaning to remove impurities before they can be disinfected or sanitized. This is because the presence of dirt and other organic substances can decrease the effectiveness of your sanitizer or disinfectant. That’s why cleaning with an oxiding cleaner is still an important first step in your sanitizing and disinfecting practices.

Sanitizing

Sanitizing methods use either heat, ultraviolet light radiation or all-purpose cleaners to kill or reduce the number of bacteria present on surfaces to levels that are deemed safe by public health safety standards — helping to decrease the risk of infection. And while sanitizing can eliminate up to 99.9 percent of bacteria, it may not destroy viruses or fungi. Hospitals are at 99.9999 percent, while the military is at 99.99999 percent.

As a commonsense measure, both pond water and saliva have a 99.9% N-Log (3N) log kill for eliminating bacterial and viral pathogens.

Sanitizing is a more common practice for dishwashing, laundering and cleaning surfaces used for food preparation so as to prevent contamination from harsh chemical residues. The irony is that most sanitizers are chemically more toxic to humans than the bacteria that they are sanitizing against.

Disinfecting

The process of disinfecting uses chemicals to eliminate up to 99.999 or just 5N (kill log) of germs and disease-causing pathogens (with the exception of bacterial spores) on hard, non-porous surfaces and objects. Keyboards, office phones, sink faucets, water fountains, door handles, and elevator panels are just a few examples of common, high-touch surfaces that can harbor high levels of contaminants and would better a than nothing benefit from routine disinfection.

To achieve a chemical’s germ kill claim on these surfaces, the disinfectant needs to sit on a surface for the amount of time specified on the chemical’s label before it is dried or wiped away. This is known as the “dwell time.” Dwell times vary, but typically are between 20 to 30 minutes before being removed with clean uncontaminated cloth (a contaminated cloth would re-introduce an entire new source of pathogens).

As a practical matter, I have been winning $2 bets since last year, that when going into a restaurant or other public places that the disinfecting process occurs in less than twenty-seconds before being seated.

When selecting a chemical disinfectant, it’s important to reference the solution’s label to know which contagions it’s formulated to kill. While pathogens like the flu virus are relatively susceptible to basic disinfecting solutions, stronger viruses, bacteria and fungi will require more powerful disinfecting methods. COVID-19 is a killable virus once the lipid shell is compromised with an oxidizing decontaminant. If it the lipid shell is not breeched, the virus continues unaffected and hunts for a new host. Disinfecting chemicals must also be registered with the EPA before they are supposed to be deemed safe for use in your specific space or facility. Always read the label.

Also it has been reported by several other government laboratories that the EPA N-List is just a registration list, and have concluded that over 85% of those products listed have no efficacy in relation to their COVID-19 claims, even when used in compliance with instructions. Only use a tested decontaminate that certifies that it has been tested using “live-agent pathogens”. Very few have.

A wide range of devices can be used to distribute disinfectants onto surfaces. Wipes and spray bottles are the most common method for small areas but are only effective when used correctly. For example, it is recommended that you only use one wipe for every two square feet of surface. To disinfect larger spaces and surfaces foggers have been proven to be most effective.

Decontaminating

Decontamination is the adult in the room. The process of Decontaminating is considered the only professional method for the removal of both bacterial and viral pathogens that cause disease and infection. Decontamination requires at least a 6N (log kill) product and a professional application protocol. These protocols are only typically used in life and death situations. Hospital operating rooms, auto and workplace accidents, military and terrorist actions, viral outbreaks and battlefield situations.

Recently, these protocols have been used to protect government VIPS, military installations, congress, heads of state and leading healthcare professionals. Typically, these products, applicators and procedures have not been available to the general public as they are part of our National Defense Strategy/Policy.

Fortunately, last spring these restrictions were lifted and a few of these products have been made available by their manufactures.

These decontaminating products have been thoroughly tested under battlefield conditions against both chemical and biological weapon threats. They became standard issue for every U.S. government branch and agency over 14 years ago as a response to our 911 terrorist attacks. Due to this extensive scientific pedigree, it is unlikely that those using these highly tested products will be prosecuted under the massive number of OSHA violated wrongful death clauses under the current legal code.

A Broomfield Colorado manufacturing company has had this U.S. Government contract for over 20 years and continues to provide safety and protection to our government employees and now the general public.

Please wash your hands and sing "Happy Birthday" four times so the soap can work. Examine gloves Wear your face mask when around others that you don't know and please decontaminate the surfaces around those that you care about.

www.Intelagard.com and www.totalsolutionswest.com