It is common for us to confuse the terms hygiene, disinfection and sterilization. Although it is true that all of them are related to cleaning and that, on many occasions, they are even part of the same process, it is important to know the distinction between one and the other. In this article on cleaning in general, we are going to talk about the three concepts, what each one consists of and the products that are used to achieve the objective they propose. Do you want to know them in depth? Keep reading!
What is hygiene
When we talk about cleaning services in general, hygiene consists of removing dirt and organic matter from different surfaces to prevent them from generating microorganisms, such as easily reproduced viruses or bacteria. They may not be visible to the naked eye, but without a thorough cleaning process, it is possible that the accumulation of this dirt or food remains can cause illness.
Among the products used for this surface cleaning are detergents and cleaners, some of which are intended to remove difficult grease or embedded dirt. For this work it is necessary to have absorbent cloths made of non-woven material. With these, we clean and at the same time drag the microorganisms from the surface that we attack. Yes indeed. They are not deleted.
What is disinfection
Unlike hygiene, which does not eliminate microorganisms, disinfection does. It is a crucial step after the cleaning process, since it must act when there are no food remains on the surface. Why is it important that the disinfection be carried out when the organic remains have been removed? Because these could inactivate the products used to disinfect.
The ideal products to use will depend on the type of pathogenic microorganisms that you want to attack, such as yeasts, fungi, viruses, bacteria, etc. For this reason, you will find fungicides, bactericides or viricides, among others.
What is sterilization
Sterilization is not responsible for cleaning and differs from disinfection in that with it, living beings that may be on the surface are eliminated. Sterilization acts as disinfection, since it eliminates pathogenic microorganisms (viruses, bacteria…) and non-pathogenic ones. For this reason, it is the most widely used technique in the health field.
Chemical or physical procedures are used to carry out the sterilization process. The chemical would, for example, apply formalin or alcohol to the surface to achieve the objective; the physicist, on the other hand, would use high temperatures for it.
At La Mar de Net we have the hygiene, disinfection and sterilization services you need with trained personnel to achieve success in the procedure. If you have questions or if you want more information, contact us and our team of advisers will guide you so that you get what you are looking for.
