Cleaning vs. Disinfecting: Why You Need to Do Both

The SARS-CoV-2 virus — the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 — isn't going away anytime soon, and you need to keep up your defenses against it, no matter how much nice weather and busy neighborhoods may soothe you into feeling like life is returning to normal.

The first thing you'll want to know is that cleaning and disinfecting are two very different things. The CDC recommends everyone do a bit of both.

• Cleaning is about removing contaminants from a surface.
• Disinfecting is about killing pathogens.
• Do both daily if anything or anyone has entered or exited your business or home.

First Clean, Then Disinfect

To disinfect properly, you must follow two key rules: #1 clean first and #2 contact time. If you don’t follow these steps, you will not be killing the bacteria and viruses that cause illness.

Why can’t you just use a “disinfectant cleaner” and be done with it?

Despite what some disinfectant cleaner products may claim, there’s no such thing as a disinfectant cleaner that is truly effective as a 2-in-1 product. A disinfectant only works properly on a clean surface.

Why? Dirt depletes disinfectant. Dirt also covers the germs the disinfectant is meant to kill. It acts as a microscopic canopy shielding pathogens. The germs protected by the dirt can then feed on it and multiply. The only correct method is to clean first to remove dirt and then disinfect to kill what remains. Using disinfectant on a dirty surface wastes your time and chemicals.

The Importance of Contact Time

The second rule to proper disinfection is “contact time” or “dwell time.” Many people make the mistake of spraying disinfectant and wiping it dry immediately — but disinfecting takes time.

The best way to ensure your disinfectant is effective is to keep the surface visibly wet with the disinfectant solution for the full recommended contact time, usually between five and ten minutes. EPA-approved disinfectants list their required contact time on the label.

For example, the Clorox label recommends a 5-minute contact time for regular bleach to disinfect, while many other solutions recommend 10 minutes.