FAQs
More FAQs- I think my hard surface floor's appearance should be improved, but I'm concerned about the price. What should I do?
- How do I maintain the floor after the acrylic application?
- Isn't clean, disinfect and sanitize the same thing?
Consider the cost of non-action. Urethane not only makes your floors shiny, which gives the perception of cleanliness, but it protects your flooring investment. Floors are subject to traffic wear patterns, chemicals and stains as well as scratching. Applying a urethane finish will protect your floors and extend their life span. Compared to the cost of the typically recommended traditional acrylic floor maintenance program, urethane generally represent a cost savings for you over time.
Leave the daily cleaning to the professionals at ServiceMaster Clean. We offer daily, weekly or monthly cleaning services for your facility. If you should choose to do some of the cleaning yourself, pre-clean the floor in order to get all of the particulate soils off the floor such as dirt and sand, then mop the floor with a neutral cleansing agent and preferably a microfiber mop. Make sure to change the water and rinse the mop frequently to prevent the mop from leaving soil behind.
To the general public, these three terms — clean, disinfect, sanitize — are often used interchangeably. However, to a cleaning professional, these terms are not the same and can refer to very different outcomes. According to Public Health Canada and the U.S. Center for Disease Control, the definition of these terms are as follows:
CleanThis refers to the removal of visible dirt and debris through the use of soap or detergent and water. While this process may remove germs from surfaces, it does not necessarily kill the germs. This said, the mere act of germ removal lowers their numbers and does help in reducing the risk of infection.
DisinfectWith disinfection, germs are actually KILLED on surfaces through the use of chemicals. 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.
SanitizeLastly, the term sanitize has its roots in the word “Sanitary” which is defined as “of or relating to health”. When you keep this in mind, to sanitize means lowering the number of germs on surfaces to a safe level, as judged by public health standards or requirements. This can be achieved by either cleaning and/or disinfecting surfaces to lower the risk of spreading infection.
Not to confuse you anymore, but as an added bonus, we’ll also define the term “sterilize” which is the process in which chemicals are used to kill ALL microbial life including bacteria, viruses, spores and fungi. This is a process that is very rarely undertaken in a facility outside of a healthcare setting.
So, for a cleaning professional, our disinfection process for your commercial facility is routinely a 2-step process - We clean first, then disinfect - in order to provide you with a sanitary facility in which to work!
Sources:
- https://www.cdc.gov/flu/school/cleaning.htm
- https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/cleaning-disinfecting-public-spaces.html
- https://www.publichealthontario.ca/-/media/documents/bp-cleaning-disinfection-sterilization-hcs.pdf?la=en
- https://www.foodsafety.ca/blog/understanding-difference-between-cleaning-sanitizing-sterilizing