3 Strikes And Your Out

by Gus Scannapieco, Certified Clinically Clean® Specialist

While researching information for our Disinfection Tips, I kept running across industry leaders touting the benefits of Hydrogen Peroxide for disinfection…from veterinarians and other healthcare professionals to carpet cleaners.

While Hydrogen Peroxide has a low toxicity rating, it is acidic and highly corrosive. If you’re using the 3% hydrogen peroxide solution from the drugstore as a mouthwash, you’d best rinse well with water after using. And never drink it. Even at three percent concentration, it can cause blistering in the mouth, vomiting and abdominal pain.

Also note, hydrogen peroxide can discolor some surfaces (including your fingertips) and should be tested in an inconspicuous area before using. Wear gloves to protect your skin.

Used as a disinfectant, hydrogen peroxide is effective against a wide range of microorganisms including bacteria and viruses, yeasts, fungi, and spores as it acts as an oxidizer, pulling electrons from other molecules in the cell which kills the organism. However, it can be unstable if it comes into contact with some molecules, like organics and biofilm that hasn’t been cleaned before the disinfectant was sprayed.

So basically two strikes against hydrogen peroxide as a disinfectant: It needs a two-step cleaning process to be effective; and a two-step process to finish (spray, then rinse).

There are some other problems with hydrogen peroxide.

It should never be mixed with vinegar. The combination of the two creates peracetic acid which is highly corrosive and can harm your skin, eyes, nose, throat and lungs.

Wound care specialists also warn against using hydrogen peroxide on deep cuts and scrapes as it has been found to actually harm the healthy cells around the cut which delays healing. Experts recommend rinsing the cut thoroughly with water that has enough pressure to dislodge dirt or debris in the wound.

For more information contact Aseptic Health.

If you’d like more cleaning tips like this, please subsccribe to DisinfecTips.com

by Pat Cummings, Certified Clinically Clean® Specialist

Pat is our logical Logistics and Warehouse Manager. She also holds a BA in Organic Chemistry with a minor in Physics and is a Certified Clinically Clean Specialist. Pat has such a heart for animals and helped start Paws2Help Animal Ministry which provides therapy animals to people in need. Pictured here with her boy, Mac (‘Ch. Old Drum’s Unchained CGC), Pat also has a rescue Doberman Pinscher named Lexie, a Birman cat named JJ and Laddie, a mini horse.

I’ve often mused, “What if dogs and cats could run the vacuum instead of running from it.”

Vacuuming is the best way to rid pet hair on carpets, hard surface floors and pet bedding, but there are some quick ways to clean up between vacuumings.

Wet Rubber Glove

To rid pet hair from an upholstered surface, moisten your rubber gloves and run your hands across the surface of cushions to accumulate pet hair.

Carpet Rake

Regular vacuuming, like once or twice a week, will keep pet hair from burrowing into the carpet. But if you have a rug or carpet that’s been neglected, try using a carpet rake to lift the pet hair to the surface before vacuuming.

Microfiber Mop

For quick hair removal on hard surface flooring, use a dry microfiber mop to sweep up and collect pet hair. Actually “sweeping” the surface with a broom just stirs pet hair around.

Brush Your Pet Several Times A Week

Collecting hair on the brush keeps it off the floor! Brush your pet outside if possible. Even your cat needs brushing regularly to keep down constipation and hairballs. Cats do clean themselves (unless they’re elderly or ill) so you may not need to bathe them. But dogs can use a once-a-month bath. Bathing dogs more often strips essential oils from their skin and leads to skin problems. With some dogs you may be able to bathe less often. A good rule of thumb, if you can smell a stinky dog, he or she needs a bath.

Blot Don’t Rub

When Fifi or Fido has an accident on a rug or carpet, remember “blot” it up. Don’t wipe or rub. If it’s urine, grab a roll of paper towels and keep blotting until the towel is dry. Use your foot to apply pressure to the towel. When you’ve blotted up as much as you can, put down another layer of towels and put a filled gallon jug on top of it to absorb any remaining wetness.

If vomit or feces, first remove the soil. Then use cool, clear tap water to soak the area, then blot with paper towels (as described for urine above) to remove the water along with any remaining soil.

For odor removal of any of the above use an effective oxidizer such as SoRite at full-strength. SoRite actually kills the nucleus of odor causing bacteria so that it does not return, unlike hydrogen peroxide. Spray on the area and allow to air dry. If any odor remains spray a second time.

If you’d like more cleaning tips like this, we hope you will Subscribe.

by Autumn Ryan, Founder and CEO

Are you using disinfectant wipes correctly? Last week Andrea did a great job explaining why “reading the fine print” on cleaning products is essential. It’s really the only way to determine if the chemical is the right fit for the job. In my experience as a janitor, it’s also the only way to know that you’re using the product correctly.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone pull a disinfecting wipe out of the package, wipe a toilet handle and then immediately flush with their fingertips.

Disinfection Takes Time

In order to disinfect, that toilet handle needs to remain wet on the surface for a certain period of time according to the package “Directions For Use.”  In many cases that means using more than one wipe.

Usage information for Clorox Disinfecting Wipes  require the surface to stay wet for 4 minutes in order to disinfect. Likewise Lysol Disinfecting Wipes require the surface to stay wet for 4 minutes to truly disinfect, which means you’ll be using more than one wipe. To prevent mold and mildew and their odors using Lysol Disinfecting Wipes, you have to use enough wipes to keep the surface wet for 10 minutes…that’s definitely a multi-wipe job!

Seventh Generation wipes require surfaces to stay wet for 10 minutes to disinfect and deodorize. You need to use as many wipes as  it takes to keep the surface wet for a full 10 minutes.

Why is keeping the surface wet so important?

In order for the cleaning product to work as claimed, it needs to stick around on the surface long enough to kill the bacteria or virus. Once the wipe dries, it has no more germ-killing power.

If you’re wondering why the recommended contact times are so different, it’s because the time it takes for a product to kill various bacteria and viruses are different. To make a disinfectant claim, a product has to go through a strict testing process set forth in the U.S. by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). To test a disinfectant, scientists at an EPA accredited lab cover a surface with a large dose of the organism being studied. They then douse the surface with the disinfectant and let it sit for a set amount of time before testing to determine whether any of the organisms remain viable.

Those tests are somewhat overkill using a higher number of organisms than are usually on a common surface. However, that said, when someone in the house has been sick–especially with severe gastrointestinal symptoms including vomiting or diarrhea—or when you’re working in the kitchen with raw chicken on counters and cutting boards, you need to pay attention to those kill times.

Multiple Surfaces

Another no-no when using wipes is reusing them on multiple surfaces. Some say that if the wipe is thoroughly wet, there’s still enough cleaner to use on several objects in the room…say a doorknob plus a faucet handle in the bath without spreading organisms around. But every expert agrees you should not use one wipe for multiple rooms.

Been Using Wipes Wrong?

When wipes start to dry, and it doesn’t take long, their effectiveness is drying too.

If you’ve been using wipes wrong, forgive yourself and change your ways! Know the difference between cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting. According to the EPA, to sanitize means to kill 99.9% of all germs within 30 seconds. The legal definition of disinfecting is to kill 99.999% of germs in 10 minutes. It really is all about the 9s…the more 9s, the better!

If you’d like more information about killing bacteria and viruses or general cleaning information visit DisinfecTips.com.

by Autumn Ryan, Founder and CEO of Aseptic Health

I think I’m seeing more homes decorated for Halloween than ever. Attribute the surge to Covid-19? Seems like the pandemic has Americans doing all kinds of unusual things. Like disinfecting for deadly viruses! Sales of our flagship hospital grade disinfectant are up. SoRiteHospital Disinfectant is a natural for germ disinfection, and believe me, there are some pretty spooky germs there.

The List

I’ve seen several lists circulating on deadly viruses and bacteria other than Covid-19. The following from our kill list are ones we have sprayed for during institutional outbreaks in the past.

H1N1 and Influenza B

Flu viruses circulate each year. And in spite of widespread vaccine use, many vaccinated people still get the flu. While not as deadly as the novel coronavirus, doctors warn that you really don’t want any of these bugs. To be clear, the flu is also one of the deadly viruses. In the 2018-19 season, over 32,000 Americans died with the flu. And like Covid, flu can also cause lingering complications to your heart, brain, muscles and other organs.

RSV

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is another virus that we typically spray for during outbreaks, usually in schools. It’s so common that the Mayo Clinic reports most children have been infected with RSV by age 2. The infection can be severe in some people. Common symptoms are cold-like: congestion, dry cough, low grade fever, sore throat and headache. More severe symptoms include a high fever, wheezing, difficulty breathing and a bluish color to the skin due to low oxygen levels. If you or your loved one have any of these severe symptoms, it’s time to seek medical attention.

Viral Hepatitis

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) widespread outbreaks of Viral Hepatitis A are continuing to affect the U.S. Hep A can be spread by contaminated food and water, but it is more commonly spread from person to person. There is however a vaccine, and high-risk groups are urged to seek that preventative. Those at high risk include people with chronic liver disease, people who use drugs by injection or non-injection, men who have sex with men, people experiencing unstable housing or homelessness or those recently incarcerated.

Norovirus

Norovirus causes diarrhea and vomiting and is sometimes called the stomach flu. However, there are several types of noroviruses and the illness itself is not related to the flu. Transmission is typically passed from person to person, but can also be passed through contaminated food or water or touching a contaminated surface then putting your unwashed hands in your mouth. If you or someone in your family have symptoms of a norovirus you want to be careful to drink water so that you do not become dehydrated. Dehydration with norovirus is what lands most people in the ER.

Rotavirus

Rotavirus is very contagious and one of the most common causes of diarrhea in infants and children resulting in over 200,000 deaths each year. There is a vaccine but there are several kinds of rotavirus so even if you’ve had the vaccine, you can get infected. Adults too.

As with Norovirus, hand-washing is the best method of defense. Dehydration is a serious complication of this bug so make sure you encourage children to drink sufficient water. Children should see the doc if diarrhea persists for more than 24 hours or has frequent episodes of vomiting or has a fever over 104 degrees F. Adults should call their doctor if you can’t keep liquids down for 24 hours or if you have diarrhea for more than two days or a fever over 103.

One Thing In Common

The one thing in common with all of these deadly viruses is that there’s no cure. Antibiotics only work against bacteria.

In fact, our disinfectant works to kill viruses and bacteria differently for that very reason. But as an oxidizer it has the ability to eliminate both pathogens from the surfaces you touch. Keeping your counters, handles and knobs disinfected during flu season is especially important. Even more so is washing your hands often with soap and warm water for a full 20-seconds. (That’s two times through “Happy Birthday.”)

Subscribe To Learn More

Like reading our tips? We’d love for you to subscribe today to learn more each week.

by Autumn Ryan, Founder and CEO of Aseptic Health

You’ve probably heard the phrases “you are what you think,” and “it’s all in your mind.” I do believe that success starts in the mind, and I encourage you to clear your mind for success.

Earlier in the year I spoke with a group of fabulous women who gathered (virtually) in Sacramento, CA. They tuned in on a Saturday to learn how to break free of some of the issues that continue to bind women. In my keynote, I spoke about Survival vs. Success and how it starts in your mind.

An Inspiration To Clear Your Mind

I led with the story of Roger Bannister, the first runner to break the 4-minute mile. Do you know the story?

For decades runners were told that no one could break the 4-minute mile…that humans couldn’t achieve this feat. But instead of listening to why it couldn’t be done, Bannister started running it in his mind. Over and over, he ran the mile in less than 4-minutes. He was told that in order to reach his goal, the weather would have to be a perfect 68 with no wind and a dry track. And on May 6, 1954 on a cold, rainy day in Oxford, England, Bannister ran the mile in 3 minutes, 58 seconds.

Every time I recall this story I am inspired, enthused…I literally want to shout out to the world what I keep playing over and over in my mind: The Cleaning Industry Will Change. One day the cleaning industry will be toxic-free. One day the cleaning industry will use practices and protocols that do no harm, and instead reduce infections and prevent superbugs.

Little Change

I’ve been in the cleaning industry for 20+ years. And little has changed. I still see janitors in schools using cotton loop mops. Dipping the same dirty mop in the same dirty water, spreading the filth and germs around.

Yes, microfiber mops are being used more prevalently now in health care. But the same bad practices apply. The mop head is rarely changed throughout the day. So what’s mopped up from under one hospital bed goes right to the one next door.

My 3:58 Minute Dream

Just like Roger Bannister who ran a 3:58 minute mile in his mind, in my mind, I can visualize how the change in cleaning and infection prevention happens.

First, we replace bleach with a solution that is as safe as water and yet effective on the worst germs. Then we train those in leadership to train their cleaning crews to use the product correctly. Instead of spreading germs from one surface to the next, we train them with the folded microfiber towel method so that surfaces aren’t continuously being re-infected. The towel is folded in fourths to make eight cleaning surfaces per cloth.

We train them to use microfiber mop heads or pads correctly…moving from the back of the room to the front. Spraying cleaner onto the mop head instead of dipping it in solution. Changing mop heads often. And never using the same microfiber cloth or pad in the kitchen that you use in the bathroom.

We also teach crews to use wipes correct. Read the directions. Know how long to keep the surface wet in order to achieve disinfection. Make sure they understand that may mean using several wipes.

And to make cleaning more affordable, I visualize products that kill germs faster so that dwell times can be reduced.

Can it happen?

Sixty-six years ago Roger Bannister proved that the mind is a tower of strength and can be used to implement change.

What do you want to do? Clear your mind and you can do whatever you envision.

For more information on Autumn Ryan as a speaker to your group visit ANRyan.com.

By Autumn Ryan, Founder and CEO of Aseptic Health

If there is a DANGER, POISION or HAZARD warning on the label, why would you want that cleaning product on your shelf?

I’m a janitor with a degree in advertising. I understand how chemicals work to clean and disinfect, and I understand how advertising and marketing copywriters work to spin a product’s benefits. But there’s one thing ad agencies can’t hide or ignore and that is the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) labeling instructions.

Hazard Warning

The EPA regulates disinfectant labeling and requires certain Physical or Chemical Hazard warning statements on the front of the package.

In addition to Flammability and Pressurization warnings, Shock Hazard warning, Fumigant, Mixing and Fire Retardant warnings, chemicals that demonstrate hazards of a Physical or Chemical nature must be included on the label. Such statements may address hazards of oxidizing or reducing capability, reactivity, or corrosivity.

Here is an example from a bottle of household bleach: DANGER: CORROSIVE. On the EPA Toxicity Chart (which categorizes disinfectants from 1—highly toxic—to 4, the same as water) bleach is a Category 1. It is especially dangerous to get in your eyes or on your skin or breathe vapors for an extended period of time.

Plant Based

A colleague was describing a situation recently that I have experienced all too often in the cleaning business.

He was working for a client whose housekeeper swears by an odor eliminator for pet urine on carpet which has the scent of eucalyptus. The label leads you to believe that the product is made with a garden plant. But a closer look reveals the truth. It is made from a chemical with added fragrance. The EPA requires the product to be labelled: DANGER – Hazards to Humans and Domestic Animals.

My friend asked his customer why in the world she wanted to have a product in her home labeled as a danger to humans and domestic animals, and she was astonished. She had never read the label.

Master Label

Anyone can review a product’s master label. Simply use your web browser to search (Specific Name of Product) EPA Master Label and click on the link. The link reads “US EPA, Pesticides, Label, (Name of Product).” You can also search for a master label using the product’s EPA Reg. No. which you can find printed on the product’s packaging label. Search (EPA Registration Number) Master Label.

Why Pesticides?

Why are disinfectants categorized by the EPA as pesticides?

According to the EPA.gov website regarding pesticide registration “Antimicrobial pesticides are substances or mixtures of substances used to destroy or suppress the growth of harmful microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi on inanimate objects and surfaces.” In other words, just as Raid kills insects, disinfectants kill viruses, bacteria and certain types of mold, yeast, mushrooms and toadstools.

Learn from Labels

What can you learn by reading a product’s master label?

A master label contains all of the approved uses for a given pesticide product and all associated labeling. Master labels must be submitted for EPA approval as well as accompanying tests performed by accredited EPA labs to substantiate all claims. Approved master labels are stamped “ACCEPTED” and placed in the official record. Labeling for a given product must not contain any text beyond that which is approved in the master label.

Why go to all the trouble of reading a product’s master label?

Most people check master labels when concerned about health risks or specific use. Master labels are submitted as a searchable pdf on 8.5 x 11 inch pages and often much easier to read than the fine print on the bottle. Also if you have a dispute or concern with a product the master label provides the information you need.

by Stephen Lawson, COO of Aseptic Health

Ultraviolet C light (UVC) has been around for years, with claims that it prevents the spread of germs. Does it work? Is it safe? Is it corrosive? To shed light on the subject, we’ve compiled a few notes and opinions from some trusted resources to reach a conclusion.

Is Ultraviolet C Light Safe?

In an article titled “UV Lights and Lamps: Ultraviolet-C Radiation, Disinfection, and Coronavirus,” published in August, 2020 by FDA.gov, we read that there are safety risks with UVC lamps.

• Direct exposure of skin and eyes to UVC radiation from some lamps may cause painful eye or skin injury. You should never look directly at a UVC lamp source.
• Some UVC lamps generate ozone. Ozone can be harmful to your lungs.
• Other UVC lamps can contain mercury which is highly toxic. Extreme care should be taken in cleaning up and disposing of a broken lamp.
• UVC can degrade certain materials: plastics, dyed textiles, and polymers such as nylon, Teflon, silk and wool.

But is UVC effective against viruses and bacterium?

According to the FDA, UVC light can effectively inactivate germs on hard surfaces, but not always. And they do not work on porous surfaces.

To eliminate viruses and bacterium, the germs must be directly exposed to the UVC light. If the germs are covered by dust, soil, biofilms or embedded in porous surfaces or the underside of a surface, they will not be inactivated.

Are Home UVC Lights Effective?

A quick stroll through Amazon.com reveals dozens and dozens of UVC Lights for home use. Prices range from under $20 to hundreds of dollars.

According to a May, 2020 interview on WebMD Health News, the devices aren’t regulated for home use. “They haven’t been studied sufficiently by scientists,” says Charles Gerba, PhD, a microbiologist and professor at the University of Arizona.

“If someone were to ask me whether they should invest in a home UV light, I wouldn’t do it right now,” Gerba says. “There’s just not enough data on them, and there’s a lot of room for user error.”

Commercial Use

Many industries are currently using UVC lights for disinfection including hospitals, aerospace, transportation and water purification.

Hospitals have been safely using UVC light for years in operating rooms after hours when there are no people in the room. According to a study published in The American Journal of Infection Control and reported in Medical News Today  the technology eliminates up to 97.7 percent of pathogens.

To learn more about kill logs, read this DisinfecTip. You’ll discover that 97.7% is not a lot of killing power.

The article goes on to say that UVC light will not replace manual cleaning and disinfection with chemicals.

What About UV Light In HVACs?

UVC lights made for HVAC coils and air handlers are installed to eliminate many types of fungi, bacteria and viruses. There are pros and cons.

The best systems are costly and the lights must be replaced every 12 to 24 months. In addition, the surrounding temperature and humidity levels of the home or building and reflectivity of surrounding surfaces will also have an impact.

And when it gets right down to those kill logs (how effectively the lights are killing) the number is around 99%. Even though that sounds like a lot because it’s close to 100%, that’s not how kill logs work. If the lights were killing ALL of the germs on the coil and the air handlers the number would be 99.99999%.

How We Measure

At Aseptic Health we are always looking for innovations in cleaning technology. We created the Certified Clinically Clean® designation to identify those products, practices and protocols that meet certain standards for safety and effectiveness.

At this time we do not have evidence that Ultraviolet light technology is safe for general use as a disinfectant.

by Stephen Lawson, COO of Aseptic Health

When you open your cleaning products cabinet or closet, what do you find? If you have a mixture of cleaning products promising to miraculously clean this or that, you may have a dangerous situation on your hands.

Cleaning products are made using different ingredients, supposedly for the purpose of being more efficacious than the next. For a product to be advertised as “New and Improved,” it really must be a new solution or an improvement over an existing solution.

The problem is, mixing cleaning products can be very dangerous. Even mixing common household ingredients can be dangerous.

Our DisinfecTips blog has touched on this subject before, but following is a handy reference guide to keep everyone in your home or workplace safe.

Cleaning Products You Shouldn’t Mix

Bleach & Just About Anything

Do not mix bleach with other cleaning products including glass cleaner, dishwashing detergent, toilet bowl cleaner, floor cleaner or wood cleaner. Bleach plus a mixture of cleaning products can result in the production of chlorine gas, resulting in severe respiratory problems.

Bleach & Drain Cleaner

Can produce chlorine gas which can have long-lasting effects to your eyes, nose and lungs.

Bleach & Oven Cleaner

Also can produce chlorine gas which can have long-lasting effects to your eyes, nose and lungs.

Bleach & Lysol

Do not mix the disinfectant Lysol and bleach. The bleach oxidizes the 2-benzyl-4-chlorphenol that is in Lysol resulting in various irritating and toxic compounds.

Bleach & Ammonia

Inhaling the vapor created when these two are mixed can result in respiratory damage and throat burns. Read labels carefully as these two ingredients are common in cleaning products. Glass cleaner for example, usually contains ammonia.

Bleach & Rubbing Alcohol

The mixture of bleach and isopropyl alcohol results in chloroform. Do not breathe fumes from this mixture.

Bleach & Mildew Stain Remover

Bleach removes mildew. But mixing bleach with a mildew stain remover does not make it work faster or better. In fact, mixing the two produces chlorine gas.

Bleach & Lemon Juice

This mixture of cleaning products can result in the production of chlorine gas. Seek medical attention right away.

Bleach & Vinegar

Can cause chemical burns to your eyes and lungs. The acid in vinegar releases chlorine and chloramine vapors when added to bleach.

Hydrogen Peroxide & Vinegar

When combined, the two can result in paracetic acid which can be corrosive.

Different Drain Cleaner Brands

If at first you don’t succeed and you find yourself back at the store buying more drain cleaner, make sure you buy the same brand that you used the first time. Mixing drain cleaners can release chlorine gas and could even lead to an explosion!

Pesticides & Water

Certain pesticides when combined with water create a deadly phosphine gas. Read the label!

Different Brands of Cleaning Products

With so many different cleaners on the market and mixtures of cleaning products that can cause potential problems, it’s really best to keep things simple and keep only one cleaning product on hand.

Look for a product, like Aseptic Plus, that is a disinfectant, sanitizer, multi-purpose cleaner, odor eliminator, allergen eliminator and mold and mildew killer.

Mixture Of Cleaning Products That Cancel Each Other Out

Remember basic chemistry? A mixture of basic and acidic solutions renders a balanced result, meaning one cancels the other out.

Baking Soda & Vinegar

Baking Soda is basic and vinegar is acidic. Combing the two basically cancels each out and you end up with water.

Vinegar & Water

There’s nothing actually dangerous about mixing vinegar and water, but when used on hardwood floors could actually take off the finish because vinegar is acidic.

Antibacterials/Disinfectants and Detergent

Mixing a disinfectant that uses quaternary ammonia with a foaming cleanser renders the disinfectant useless.

For more information log onto DisinfecTips.com.

by Dana Ryan, Certified Clinically Clean® Specialist

Disinfectants kill germs that cause colds, flu and other illnesses—when used as directed. The problem is, most people don’t read the label and they use the disinfectant incorrectly. Might as well pour the bottle down the drain, because if you’re making any of these six disinfectant mistakes, you’re not killing the germs.

1. Let It Dwell

Disinfectants have dwell times on their label indicating how long the surface must remain wet in order to kill a virus or bacteria. (Bacteria usually take longer to kill than viruses.) In order to kill the number of bacteria specified on the label, such as at a kill log of 99.999%, the surface must stay wet the entire time. That often means reapplying the disinfectant during the dwell time period.

Dwell times range anywhere from 15 seconds up to 10 minutes. Read the label to discover how long you need to keep your surfaces wet.

2. The 9s Matter

You might think 99.9% is just about perfect right? After all it’s almost 100. But that’s not how kill logs work. 99.999% is 10,000 times better than 99.9%.

The more 9s on your disinfectant label, the more cleaning power you have in your bottle. Disinfectants that are “hospital grade” have the highest kill rate.

3. Clean First

In order to disinfect, you must clean first to remove biofilm so that the disinfectant can reach the germs. Clean high touch areas like light switches, door handles and countertops with a multi-purpose cleaner…even if they look spotless. Then disinfect.

4. Read The Fine Print

In this era of Covid-19 and other emerging pathogens, reading the fine print on cleaning products is even more critical. Much of what you read on the front of the label is marketing and advertising driven. But the fine print is where you’ll discover the directions for use and what the product can and can’t do.

Read the label to discover WHAT it kills (name of germ). HOW LONG it takes to kill a germ (dwell time) And HOW FAST it kills (number of 9s).

5. Check The Expiration Date

Another benefit of reading the label is knowing when your product expires. Did you know that the shelf-life of bleach is approximately 6 months? It may still smell like bleach after 6 months, but it’s not effective after its expiration date.

6 Pro Cleaning Tips

Now that you know the right way to clean and disinfect, how about a few tips from professional janitors to help make cleaning more fun. Fun? Yes, did you know that according to Ted.com the number one most satisfying job in the world is a hospital custodian?

1. Turn Up The Music

Put on your favorite tunes to move to and turn ‘em up so you can hear over running water or running the vacuum.

2. Grab A Roll Of Paper Towels

We know that a lot of janitors swear by microfiber towels, but here’s the truth. They’re made of polyester and nylon which is made with petroleum. And little bits of the towel  go down the drain and end up in the oceans as plastic residue. Plus, you have to wash them with really hot water and use no fabric softener in order to reuse them. With a disposable paper towel, you clean an area and throw the towel in your compost (not recyclable). Then get a new towel to clean the next area.

3. Top to Bottom

Start at the top as dirt will fall down onto things you have not yet cleaned. Follow a path from top to bottom and back of a room to the front moving in one direction around the room. Vacuum or mop the floor last.

4. Clean When It’s Light

This is not always possible for janitors who have to clean every day, but when you’re cleaning at home, tackle the job when it’s bright outside. Open the drapes and shades. Turn on the lights. Depending on your time zone and whether it’s summer or winter, note when the light begins to fade. Fading light makes it harder to see the dirt.

5. Clean Every Time You Cook

Clean your kitchen every time you cook because cooking leaves behind a mess every time. Clean counters, stove top, door handles, sinks. It’s easier to clean the new mess than when it turns rock-hard.

6. Simplify

Simplify your cleaning products. You don’t need a cart full of products to get the job done. And besides, mixing chemicals is a definite no-no.

For more tips, subscribe to DisinfecTips.com