How To Properly Sanitize Surfaces
Although there are many ways to clean, there is only one way to effectively sanitize something. The word sanitize can be defined as: to make clean and hygienic; disinfect. However, an area can’t be sanitized until it’s clean. Here’s an example of why sanitizing is so important.
Students across the U.S. use shared desks. What most people don’t know is the amount of ATP that is on the surface of these desks. ATP stands for Adenosine Triphosphate and is a molecule found in all living cells, including those of microbes like fungi, mold, and bacteria. ATP is very prevalent on school desks. ATP testing is used to quickly assess the cleanliness of surfaces by detecting the presence of this organic matter. If a desk is properly sanitized, you will not find any ATP on it. This goes for all surfaces – not just school desks.
How can you properly sanitize your surfaces to ensure that ATP isn’t present or anything else for that matter? Angie has these tips to ensure whatever you are cleaning is sanitary:
- Clean and remove any visible dirt.
- Spray a disinfectant on the object and let it sit for 10 minutes.
- After 10 minutes, wipe the disinfectant off the object with a clean, dry microfiber cloth.
Believe it or not the most effective disinfectant is deionized water, which is water that has had most of its ions – electrically charged atoms or molecules – removed, resulting in a highly pure form of water. If you can’t get deionized water, the second best thing to use is distilled water.
Using deionized or distilled water with a good microfiber cloth is the best way to remove bacteria and to safely sanitize anything. Unfortunately, all purpose cleaners and disinfectant wipes remain on objects after use, which is why the use of deionized or distilled water is preferred.
