Cleaning vs. Disinfecting with SoRite

There is a difference. Cleaning vs. disinfecting is for appearance. Disinfecting is for good health. SoRite is a product that does both, depending on how it is diluted. At a dilution of 20:1 with water, SoRite is as good a cleaner as you can buy. And why buy multiple products, unless of course you have oodles of space under your sink or in your janitorial closet? More about SoRite as a cleaner in a few paragraphs.

I want to continue here with the difference in cleaning vs. disinfecting. According to the National Cancer Institute disinfecting means to kill germs on surfaces, such as viruses, bacteria and other microorganisms that can cause infection and disease. Disinfecting permanently eliminates pathogens that can easily survive even a deep cleaning. And because it "kills" living organisms, disinfecting products are considered to be "pesticides."

There is a lot to unpack in understanding how cleaning products and disinfecting products work. I started my career as a janitor learning about cleaning products hands-on so to speak. But as founder and CEO of SoRite, working with our team chemists and scientific professionals, I've learned so much more about how different chemicals work and react to people, plants and the environment.

Is It True, That Cleaning Can Make You Happier?

Cleaning, by definition, is essential to removing dirt, dust and organic matter from surfaces and equipment as well as removing clutter. Study after study prove that a clean house makes you happier, and a messy one makes you more stressed or depressed. Psychology Today reports a 53% boost in happiness with every hour of cleaning. In a scholarly article, November, 2005, Galperin, Moroz, Wilson and Murzin introduce that housecleaning is a "necessary condition of survival."

There's even an app for that! Cleaning companies routinely use digital checklists to insure cleaners are thoroughly cleaning a commercial or residential space. I've even recently seen digital apps designed to help you keep a clean home, usually geared toward those who find it difficult to keep their home from being messy. These apps help organize household chores and even assign tasks to family members, Popular options are Tody, Sweepy, and Homey.

SoRite As A Cleaner

SoRite is a tested and proven disinfectant when used out of the bottle at 100%. When diluted with water at 20 parts water to 1 part SoRite, the product is an effective multi-purpose cleaner, degreaser and odor eliminator. SoRite can be used on most surfaces, but we do recommend checking carpet or fabric for colorfastness as SoRite is a dilute oxidizer.

In the kitchen: clean counters, floors, stainless steel and glass surfaces. For heavy grease on stainless steel or appliances, use a dilution of 10:1. You normally do not need to rinse in the kitchen except when using on food contact surfaces such as cutting boards.

In the bathroom: clean porcelain, Quartz counters, tile and shower surrounds, faucets, light switches and mirrors. No rinse required.

Around the house: clean floors, walls, baseboards, leather, carpets and rugs. Spray empty garbage cans to eliminate odors.

For general carpet cleaning with a carpet extractor use a 20:1 dilution according to the manufacturer's recommendation and allow to air dry. To spot clean carpet spray at full strength on soiled area until wet. Gently blot area with a clean, damp, color safe cloth. Repeat as needed (for stubborn stains) and let air dry. To use as a pre-spray (pre-cleaner) on carpet, spray at full strength evenly coating the soiled area (until wet).

Outdoors: clean grills and outdoor furniture. For heavy grease stains on the grill use a dilution of 10:1 or full strength if necessary. Rinse grill grates. You can even spray SoRite on your air conditioning coil at full-strength to kill mold.

In the laundry: add 1 cup of undiluted SoRite along with your regular detergent to eliminate odor-causing bacteria.

Eliminate odors throughout the house or office. Use a fogger, such as FogMaster Jr., at a dilution of 20:1 for a light daily fogging to remove cooking, pet and smoke odors. Fog using a zigzag motion from top to bottom working from the back of the room to the point of entry.

SoRite As A Disinfectant

At full strength, SoRite is a Hospital Disinfectant for use in residential and commercial settings. It is regulated by the EPA as a pesticide. Its Registration Number is 91603-3. SoRite has been tested in EPA approved laboratories and is determined to kill the following:

In 15 Seconds:

• Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
• Escherichia coli
• Listeria monocytogenes
• Streptococcus pneumoniae
• SARS - CoV-2 (Covid-19) Virus

In 60 Seconds

• Pseudomonas aeruginosa
• Staphylococcus aureus
• Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium
• Carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli
• Klebsiella pneumoniae
• Salmonella enterica
• Hepatitis B virus
• Hepatitis C virus,
• Swine Influenza A Virus,
• Influenza B Virus,
• Respiratory Syncytial Virus,
• HIV Type 1

In 10 Minutes

• Murine Norovirus
• Trichophyton interidigitale Fungi

Three Types of Disinfectants

There are different types of disinfectants according to the EPA

Limited – found mostly in household use and will kill either Salmonella choleraesuis or Staphlococcus aureus.

General – found in commercial use and kill both Salmonella and Staph.

Hospital – effective at killing Salmonella, Staph and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which hides behind biofilm and is difficult to eliminate. SoRite is a Hospital Disinfectant.

How Disinfectants Work

Disinfectants are either oxidizers or non-oxidizers. Oxidizers readily release oxygen or another oxidizing compound. Oxiders can include halogens, chlorine, iodine, bromine and chlorine dioxide or sodium chlorite, with chlorine dioxide and sodium chlorite being amongst the safest.

The main ingredient in SoRite is sodium chlorite. It is the only sodium chlorite disinfectant available as a ready-to-use product—no mixing required—in low concentrations for safety and efficacy. SoRite's unique formula kills germs faster which is very important. You must allow the surface you are disinfecting to stay wet the stated amount of time on the product's label.

You can read on our producct label that in order to kill the SARS - CoV-2 (Covid-19) Virus the surface must stay wet for 15 seconds. That pretty fast. A lot of disinfectants require a surface to stay wet for two to 20 minutes. That means you must keep reapplying the disinfectant to keep the surface wet for the required amount of time.

Our slowest kill time is 10 minutes for Norovirus—a very difficult virus to kill. If using SoRite during a Norovirus outbreak in a school or nursing facility, make sure your counters and toilets are staying wet with our product for at least 10 minutes. You may need to reapply during the 10 minutes depending on drying conditions.

Everything you need to know about a disinfectant product is on the label. It's extremely important to read the label because not all disinfectants are the same. I've just described how SoRite works, but if you're using chlorine bleach as a disinfectant, the directions are extremely different. Kill times are longer. Rinsing is always required. And mixing chemicals is a definite no-no.

SoRite is non-reactive. Bleach is extremely dangerous with mixed with some products such as ammonia. The gas it creates can actually kill you. Reading the label is the only way to know if you are using the product safely and killing germs properly.

The Clean Truth

At The SoRite Company, we’re a little obsessed with education. We don’t just make disinfectants — we teach people how to clean smarter, faster, and safer.

Whether you’re scrubbing your kitchen counter or cleaning a police cruiser, you deserve to know how your disinfectant really works. Because when you know better, you clean better.