What is the difference between sanitising and disinfecting?

Ever heard of microbes? Too small to be seen by the naked eye, microbes are tiny living things that are found all around us. They live in water, soil, and in the air. Microbes are widespread in nature and some are beneficial to life, but some can cause serious harm.

To eliminate potentially harmful microbes, it is crucial to clean the area before sanitising or disinfecting, as the microbes cannot be destroyed if the area is heavily soiled.

When we clean a space, it is important to determine what product to use depending on the area we are cleaning. For instance, when cleaning the floor or windows which are low risk areas, we may opt to use a general cleaner such as our Multi-task Cleaner or Orange Organic Cleaner.

Sanitising is suitable mainly for food preparation areas, especially the kitchen. Sanitising is effective in reducing the occurrence and growth of bacteria, viruses and fungi, which is crucial in a food environment. It is important to note the alcohol content of the product you are using, as sanitisers with an alcohol content lower than 80% is not effective at all. Our General Purpose Surface Spray Sanitiser is especially effective for this purpose as it contains food grade ethanol.

Disinfecting is effective in killing microscopic organisms and is appropriate for frequently touched surfaces such as light switches, appliance handles, door handles, computers and phones. Our Disinfectant Hospital Grade is the perfect choice for this purpose.