CLEANING, DISINFECTION OR BOTH

Covid has caused many people to become misophobic (hatred and/or exaggerated fear of microbes) which, together with a lack of knowledge and massive and often inconclusive information, has had a serious impact on our surroundings.

Any internet search engine will give us hundreds of articles on how to disinfect... but to what extent is it necessary?

José Luis Jiménez an expert in aerosols and Professor of Chemistry and Environmental Sciences at the University of Colorado, USA, in August 2021 with the pandemic still recent, participated in a study published in Science in which he reaffirms that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is spread and spreads mainly by inhaling aerosols laden with viral particles that can accumulate and remain in the air for several hours and insists on dispelling myths, such as that the virus is transmitted by surface transmission.

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Let's go step by step. What is the difference?

Cleaning consists of removing stains, grease, dust, traces of urine, vomit, wine, mildew... in short, dirt and, in this way, sanitizing while respecting the surface to be cleaned, non-harmful microorganisms and the health of all (humans, animals, insects, plants...).

Disinfecting, this is more complex as we can talk about disinfection and disinfectant properties.

• Disinfection: Biocides that eliminate chlorine, isopropyl alcohol, ethanol, hydrogen peroxide andquaternary ammonium compounds are the most commonly used disinfectants.

Necessary in places that due to their conditions and risks, disinfecting is fundamental and necessary, although its frequency may vary. Hospitals, hotels, public buildings...

The way in which they are applied is also important, in addition to the dosage, the time needed for them to be effective must be taken into account. Chlorine solutions should act for one to ten minutes and alcohol-based solutions do not need to be removed, but evaporate.

Many times we do not wait the indicated time, because it can damage the surface or because we are in a hurry. We use more disinfectants than necessary, wrong and increase the damage they cause.

Disinfectants kill viruses and bacteria, but leaving sterile surfaces the first to appear are the harmful bodies and without anything to fight them they will go straight to us. In addition, all disinfectants are characterized by a high toxicity which is more harmful than beneficial to our health.

• Disinfectant properties: Vinegar and products made from plants. Although they are great allies in cleaning thanks to their characteristics. However, their less aggressive characteristics make them more inefficient and sometimes counterproductive because they can leave residues. A biocide must eliminate absolutely everything leaving the surface completely inert.

Yes, there are many studies that indicate that vinegar is a disinfectant. These studies also say that it needs to act for more than 30 minutes. This is one of the reasons why its use is negative in areas with high risk of contamination such as the kitchen.

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There is no magic product, if it is ecological it does not disinfect or does not disinfect at all, but rather it sanitizes and if it disinfects it is not ecological. What we can do is to supplement when necessary.

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Daily or at least frequent cleaning is necessary and beneficial to avoid the proliferation of harmful germs and to live in healthy spaces.

The instructions must be followed. That is to say, it is not enough to pour or spray on a surface and then remove it with a sponge or cloth, but it must be left to act for the indicated time.

Therefore, if you abuse the disinfectant or use one less time than you should, you are not cleaning the surfaces of viruses and bacteria and you are harming your health and the environment.

Therefore, it is not necessary to disinfect on a daily basis and, in fact, it is not recommended at all.

As we saw earlier, disinfectants destroy everything, and also excessive use can increase the risk of resistance of bacteria and viruses, as happens with antibiotic drugs when fighting a disease. If we talk about cleaners with disinfectant properties you need a long time of action and therefore lose efficiency along with other possible drawbacks (residues, odors ...).

Here WeTKare enables efficient daily cleaning while respecting your health and without polluting. It can be combined with disinfectants for deeper cleaning when necessary. To combine is to use it daily and on specific occasions to apply a disinfectant after use.

If we are talking about a home, disinfection is practically unnecessary, daily cleaning and ventilation would be enough. From this point on, we can and should carry out sustainable cleaning. Clean and disinfect only when necessary.

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