What's the Difference Between Cleaning and Sanitizing?

July 27, 2018 Leave a Comment

You hear the words "cleaning" and "sanitizing" thrown around a lot, particularly by makers of store-bought cleaning products that may not always fit the definition of the words. In fact, many store-bought cleaners are not very effective at all. Those products that do clean and sanitize may be doing so at a high cost. That's because many store-bought products can be harmful to people, animals, and the eco-system. Before delving into that, let's look at the difference between cleaning and sanitizing.

What is the Difference Between Cleaning and Sanitizing?Although the words are often used interchangeably, there is a big difference between cleaning and sanitizing. Cleaning can be defined as the physical act of removing dirt, grime, and stains from an area. It also includes vacuuming, dusting, and other acts that are meant to make a room or area look good. That doesn't necessarily mean there is any sanitizing going on. People clean their homes or businesses frequently without doing any sanitizing. They use a lot of different products for cleaning, depending upon what they are cleaning. Some examples of cleaning products include abrasive cleaners, detergents, acidic cleaners, and solvents.


CleaningThese cleaning products are used for different cleaning applications:

• Detergents: These contain surfactants. These reduce tension between grime and the surface, so the detergent penetrates fast and softens the soil. Detergent is used for cleaning dishes and can be used to remove grease from many surfaces. Many detergents contain harmful additives and do not sanitize.


• Abrasive Cleaners: These cleaners are great for removing stain, but the abrasive action means the products contain mineral particles, metal particles, nylon particles, or other materials that give it the abrasive quality it takes to remove stains. Some abrasive cleaners contain microbeads. These small pieces of plastic can sneak through water filtration systems and make their way to our water bodies, presenting a risk to the life there. Some studies indicate that one shower can be the source of more than 100,000 plastic particles our bodies of water. In a bill signed by President Obama, the US Government introduced a ban on many products containing microbeads, however, lots of household products, including abrasive cleaners, will keep using them.


• Acidic Cleaners: These types of cleaners are great for mineral deposits and other hard to remove soils that alkaline cleaners have trouble with. Acidic cleaners are harmful to the environment and harmful to people and pets. They are corrosive and can cause numerous health issues, including skin irritation, burning eyes, and even worse if ingested.


• Solvents: Sometimes referred to as degreasers, solvent cleaners are alkaline-based detergents that include a grease-dissolving agent. Solvents can be used safely, but they can also be harmful if fumes are inhaled or if there is prolonged contact with the solvent.

As you can see, the above cleaners are varied and mostly unsafe. At the least, they are unsafe if used inappropriately or not disposed of safely. None of the above cleaners are sanitizers. They are used for cleaning only. Cleaning might make an area look good, but that doesn't mean all the bacteria will be gone. Simply cleaning an area, no matter how pristine you make it look, is not sufficient enough to make the area safe. There may still be harmful bacteria lurking on countertops, in sinks and bathtubs, and on surfaces where people come into regular contact.

SanitizingThere are many different types of sanitizers. To further complicate matters, the word "disinfect" is often used interchangeably with "sanitize." These two words have different meanings. Disinfecting a surface will kill specific microscopic organisms. Which of these organisms a product will kill can be different and is indicated on a product's label. All disinfectant products do not kill all harmful organisms. Sanitizing, on the other hand, is meant to significantly reduce the growth of fungi, viruses, and other harmful bacteria. Even if you thoroughly clean a surface, it's important to sanitize if you want to maintain a safer environment. A good sanitizer will greatly reduce all bacteria, not just specific kinds. That's why sanitizing is an important element of the cleaning process in hospitals, food services, schools, and work environments. Sanitizers reduce microbiological contamination to levels that conform to local health regulations.


There are a few ways to sanitize. Heat, radiation, and chemicals are three common sanitizing methods. For this reason, many sanitizing products contain dangerous chemicals. The chemicals are meant to help sanitize, but as you can imagine, the potential risk to consumers, their pets, and the environment are high. Many store-bought sanitizers contain dangerous chemicals that can cause skin rash, trouble breathing if fumes are inhaled, and eye irritation. Common ingredients in sanitizers include chlorine, quaternary ammonium (quats), and iodine.

GenEon Brings You Next Generation Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting SolutionsAt GenEon, we believe in the safety of people, animals, and the environment. That's why all of our cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting solutions are toxic-free and safe to use anywhere. Testing at nationally recognized labs in accordance with AOAC protocol and GLP procedures confirm that GenEon solution kills 99.999% of common germs in less than 60 seconds, including Listeria, MRSA, Staph, VRE, Pseudomonas, Norovirus, H1N1, Salmonella, and E.coli O157:H7 bacteria. Our products utilize energy, water, and minerals. Our proprietary Electrolyte allows you to harness the power of natural minerals to make the cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting solutions you need in an environmentally friendly, safe, and cost-effective manner. Using our Electrolyte and specific catalysts, you can generate glass cleaner, carpet cleaner, degreasing solutions, or all-purpose cleaners, each specifically formulated for its intended purpose. All of our Electrolytes are food-based additives and classified as GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe) by the U.S. FDA. This means our cleaning solutions are safe and highly effective at the same time.


Our cleaners, sanitizers, degreasers, and disinfectants are generated by customers on site using our on-site generation technology. This means you only create the cleaning and sanitizing products you need when you need them, eliminating the need to store toxic chemical cleaners in your home or place of business. This makes our products both cost effective and safe. It also makes our sanitizing products ideal for homes, schools, medical facilities, and public businesses. Using store-bought sanitizers and cleaners is not only costly, but they require you to keep a variety of toxic, potentially harmful chemicals on hand, and unfortunately, many consumers dispose of those products in an unsafe manner.

GenEon also brings you superior technology for cleaning and sanitizing large areas using our easy to usedevices. The Mist2.5 Sprayer/Blower lets you clean, sanitize, and disinfect open areas without direct surface contact. Our Mist2.5 delivery system is the perfect complement to solutions generated on GenEon's On-Site devices, such as The TRIO +, Maxx, Rx, InstaFlow, and Immerse-A-Wand. Our delivery systems guarantee even distribution of our sanitizing solutions over all surfaces, and because our solutions are safe, there's no need to worry about breathing in toxic fumes or leaving behind harmful residue on surfaces.

GenEon even has the perfect home solution. You no longer need to keep a cabinet full of dangerous, toxic cleaners to keep your home in clean and safe. Our Trio H2Ome solution brings you an ideal way to clean, sanitize, and disinfect all areas of your home using our proprietary products. We even offer a simple guide that shows you how to use your GenEon cleaning solutions in the most effective manner. Keep your home clean, safe, and save money on the usual arsenal of toxic cleaners you keep on hand in your home.

At GenEon, we believe in building a better future with cleaner, safer living. That's why our number one priority is bringing you cleaning and sanitizing products that make a difference in the way we all live. Our products are safe for your family, your pets, and the environment. If you're looking for a safer, more effective, cost efficient way to clean and disinfect anywhere, GenEon has the technology to make our lives better. To learn more about GenEon and our line of cleaning solutions and cleaning technology, call 866.217.0205. We will be happy to assist you with finding the right products for your particular needs.


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