What is the Difference Between Cleaning and Disinfecting

The key difference between cleaning and disinfecting is that cleaning refers to the removal of loose dirt and preparation of the surface to be disinfected, whereas disinfecting refers to the destroying of germs on the surface, which prevent them from spreading.

There are different ways of keeping a surface clean, but the application of each method can vary upon the occasion and the type of surface we need to clean. Cleaning and disinfection are two related terms because usually, these two processes are done in line with each other.

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Cleaning
3. What is Disinfecting
4. Cleaning vs Disinfecting in Tabular Form
5. Summary – Cleaning vs Disinfecting

What is Cleaning?

Cleaning is a physical process in which dirt and other solid particles are removed from a surface to prepare the surface for the disinfection process. Typically, cleaning is done with the use of soap or detergents. These are called surfactants and can change how water behaves. When we add a surfactant, the surface tension of water reduces, and it is then able to spread out and wet the surface of clothes, dishes, countertops, etc. that we plan to clean.

There are two ends to a surfactant molecule: hydrophilic and hydrophobic ends. The hydrophilic end is the water-loving end, while the hydrophobic end is the water-fearing end (made of hydrocarbon chains). When we add a surfactant to water, the surfactant molecules tend to organize in a way that hydrophilic ends are exposed to the water while hydrophobic ends are covered in the middle (not exposed to water) by the hydrophilic parts. This forms a globular micelle. The micelle can trap the dirt on the surface. Since the inside part of the micelle is hydrophobic, it can attract the hydrophobic dirt to the micelle. Then a suspension forms what we call an emulsion state, which makes it easy for us to wash the surfactant away along with the dirt. Eventually, this gives us a cleaned surface.

What is Disinfecting?

Disinfecting can be described as a process in which germs on a surface are killed using a disinfectant. Germs are like a part of our lives. This is because we come across a large number of germs during our lifetime. Some of these germs are helpful, but others are harmful and can cause diseases. Disinfecting is a method of getting rid of germs that exist on surfaces. Disinfectants are chemical substances that are able to kill germs on surfaces.

The most common types of disinfectants include bleach and alcohol solutions. Usually, we need to leave the disinfectant on the surface or object for a particular time period to kill the bacteria. However, this process does not necessarily remove any dirt on a surface; therefore, we need clean the surface before disinfecting to remove the dirt, such as soil. In other words, after cleaning a surface, we can use disinfecting methods to further remove any risk of spreading infections.

There are some alternative disinfecting methods, such as using ultrasonic waves, high-intensity UV radiation, and LED blue light, in addition to using chemicals directly. These methods are effective against some viruses, including COVID-19. However, there are some primary disinfecting methods as well, which are not usually recommended due to increased risk of side effects, e.g. fogging, fumigation, and wide-area or electrostatic spraying.

What is the Difference Between Cleaning and Disinfecting?

Cleaning and disinfecting are very important techniques for maintaining perfect hygiene in our surroundings. The key difference between cleaning and disinfecting is that cleaning refers to the removal of loose dirt and preparation of the surface to be disinfected, whereas disinfecting refers to the destroying of germs on the surface, which prevent them from spreading.

Summary – Cleaning vs Disinfecting

There are different ways of keeping a surface clean, but the application of each method can vary upon the occasion and the type of surface we need to clean. Cleaning and disinfecting are hence two related terms. The key difference between cleaning and disinfecting is that cleaning refers to the removal of loose dirt and preparation of the surface to be disinfected, whereas disinfecting refers to the destroying of germs on the surface, which prevent them from spreading.

Reference:

1. “Disinfection.” Overview | Science Direct.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Collection of cleaning supplies on white” By Marco Verch Professional Photographer (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr
2. “Disinfection” Original image sourced from US Government department: Public Health Image Library, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Public Domain) via Raw Pixel