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.

Following these steps are the best ways to remove bacteria and to safely sanitize any object.