Know the lingo

There are three types of cleaning processes: cleaning, sanitizing and disinfection.

• Cleaning removes visible objects from a surface. It can remove germs from the surface, but it won’t kill them.
• Disinfection reduces the number of pathogens on a surface and kills almost all germs.
• Disinfection kills bacteria, germs and fungi. The difference between disinfectants and disinfectants is that the latter is proven to kill viruses.

At Virginia Tech, the housekeeping team uses a two-in-one chemical that cleans and disinfects to quickly remove dirt and kill germs on surfaces.

“By using a one-step disinfectant cleaner, our housekeeping team is able to be more productive and clean more surfaces more frequently,” said Greg Canaday, Associate Facilities Manager.

Residence time

A critical factor in ensuring proper surface disinfection is to consider the residence time of the chosen chemical.

Residence time is the length of time the chemical stays wet on a surface before it dries. If the complete residence time is not reached, potential bacteria, germs or viruses have not been killed.

“Our housekeeping team understands the importance of ensuring surfaces contain enough chemicals to stay wet for the required dwell time,” Canaday said.

For the multi-disinfectant used at Virginia Tech, the residence time is one minute. But for many household cleaners, it may take longer. “Check the recommended dwell time on the product you use at home. Apply enough chemical to keep the surface wet for the required dwell time,” Canaday said.

Dwell times vary between household cleaning products and brands. For example, Lysol Disinfecting Wipes require a four-minute dwell time to fully disinfect (and kill potential flu viruses) a surface.

Choose the right cleaning products

When looking to buy cleaning products for your dorm or home, consider using a disinfectant named on the Environmental Protection Agency’s list. List N: Disinfectants for Coronavirus (COVID-19). These have been shown to be effective in killing both COVID-19 and seasonal flu.

the Centers for Disaster Control and Prevention recommends cleaning frequently touched surfaces in your residence and home on a regular basis. If you or a visitor to your room or home has the flu or COVID-19, frequently touched surfaces should be disinfected after each use.