Cleaning vs. Disinfecting – What’s the difference?

What is cleaning?

So, what’s the difference between cleaning and disinfecting?

Cleaning involves removing all visible dirt, dust, and grime from the surfaces in your home. Cleaning your house regularly will improve appearance, freshen up your spaces and, depending on what is used to clean, can help reduce unpleasant odors. However, cleaning alone will not always kill germs or remove them completely. That’s where disinfecting comes in.

What is disinfecting?

Rather than removing dust, dirt, and grime, disinfecting involves killing germs. FamilyGuard™ Brand Disinfectant Cleaner, for example, kills 99.9% of household germs, including cold and flu viruses on hard, non-porous surfaces when used as directed.

To make sure you’re targeting the most germs, you should only disinfect surfaces that are already clean of visible dirt. This is because if there’s dirt on a surface, the disinfectant can’t get through to any germs hiding under the grime, and so it won’t be as effective.

Now that we know the difference between cleaning and disinfecting, let’s take a look at how we can do both within our homes.

All-purpose cleaner vs. disinfectant: how do they work?

Because cleaning and disinfecting achieve different things, we also need to use different products for each step.

Most all-purpose cleaners are designed to lift dirt, grease and dust from the surfaces in your home. Some can also kill germs, but not every all-purpose cleaner can also kill germs, so you will need to read labels to understand what each product can do.

Disinfectants contain active ingredients that can kill germs. Not all disinfectants are made to clean or remove dirt, in which case they must be used on pre-cleaned surfaces.

FamilyGuard™ Brand Disinfectant Cleaner is different – it’s expertly formulated to clean and disinfect, to save you from having to buy and store two different products and to save you time to spend on the moments that matter most. This foaming formula can clean and disinfect the surfaces your family touches most, and helps remove dirt, dust, grease, and grime. Our FamilyGuard™ Brand Disinfectant Cleaner is ideal for disinfecting those hard, non-porous surfaces in your home.

For best results, follow these simple steps.

To clean:

1. Spray 6-8 inches (15-20 cm) from surface until thoroughly covered.
2. For kitchen countertops and similar, food contact surfaces must be rinsed with clean potable water following application.
3. For tough jobs, let stand several minutes before wiping. Rinse.

To disinfect:

1. Pre-clean visibly soiled areas
2. Spray 6-8 inches from surface until visibly wet
3. Let stand for 5 minutes.
4. Wipe and rinse with potable water*

Our FamilyGuard™ Brand Disinfectant Spray  disinfects surfaces your family touches most, and kills 99.9% of germs and viruses, including the virus that can cause Covid-19, when used as directed.

*Rinse food contact surfaces, toys, pet bowls, or other similar surfaces with potable water after using FamilyGuard™ Brand cleaners and disinfectants.

Cleaner vs. disinfectant: when to use each one

Remember, cleaners are designed to remove dirt and grime, and disinfectants are designed to remove germs. If possible, you should always follow up cleaning with disinfecting.

However, to save time so you can focus on the things that matter most, prioritize disinfecting high-touch or high-traffic surfaces. These are places like door handles, microwave and refrigerator exteriors, kitchen countertops* or even small objects like remote controls.

If you have kids or pets, don’t forget about areas where they play or objects they use every day (like high chairs, dog bowls, and toys).*

*Rinse food contact surfaces, toys, pet bowls, or other similar surfaces with potable water after using FamilyGuard™ Brand cleaners and disinfectants.

We all want our home to be a welcoming and pleasant environment for our whole family to enjoy. Regularly cleaning and disinfecting is a great way to refresh your space, kill germs, and keep your home looking its best.

Ready to tackle the grime and germs in your home? Take a look at our FamilyGuard™ Brand disinfectant sprays and disinfectant cleaners, available in a range of refreshing scents.