What Cleaners or Disinfectants Are Needed to Eliminate Dangerous Bacteria and Viruses?

There’s a science behind professional-grade cleaning that the average person might not be familiar with. Many home cleaning products are multi-purpose and can be used on virtually all surfaces throughout a residence. While there are multi-purpose commercial cleaners, certain types of facilities by necessity require more robust disinfecting than others. Some workspaces might also have certain operational requirements that influence disinfectant choices, like the need to use cleaning chemicals that won’t leave behind residue.

While no office manager or property owner wants bacteria and viruses to be present on door handles or break room countertops, their concern has a less “life or death” connotation compared with a hospital or elder care facility.

As a result, commercial cleaners might employ different types of cleaning chemicals and disinfectants in different facilities.

Commonly Used Cleaning Chemicals and Disinfectants in Odessa and Midland

When it comes to killing bacteria and viruses, a whole host of chemicals can potentially do the job. Many of them are not all that different from the disinfectants you use at home, but others are notably professional grade.

Alcohol-based solutions: The traditional isopropanol or ethanol solution, which contains at least 70 percent alcohol, is highly effective against most bacteria and viruses on hard surfaces. The rapid action of alcohol makes it useful for killing microorganisms fast. It also evaporates more quickly than other cleaning solutions, which is why it is the preferable choice for cleaning electronics like keyboards and mice. 

Chlorine-based disinfectants: Another mainstay of the disinfectant field, bleach (sodium hypochlorite) is especially deadly to pathogens and mold spores. Although it may seem basic since it’s available anywhere cleaning chemicals are sold, chlorine-based cleaners are popular for some healthcare disinfectant applications.

Quaternary ammonium compounds (Quats): A less corrosive alternative to chlorine-based disinfectants, quats cleaning chemicals are commonly used in offices and schools where minimizing residue and toxicity is a priority.

Hydrogen peroxide: This oxidizer is good for more than just cleaning cuts – hydrogen peroxide cleaners are potent disinfectants for medical facilities as well as homes. It’s able to eliminate bacteria, viruses, yeast and spores.

Phenolics: This broad-spectrum disinfectant variety capably eliminates a wide variety of bacteria and viruses. The lower toxicity makes it a popular choice for schools and offices.

Peracetic acid: The minimum residue and fast eradication of fungi, viruses and bacteria makes these cleaning solutions a popular choice in food service businesses. It may also be used for some cleaning duties in medical facilities.

Hypochlorous acid: An increasingly popular disinfectant after the COVID-19 pandemic, hypochlorous acid (HOCl) acts quickly to eliminate a broad range of microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria and fungi, by oxidizing the cell walls on contact.

How the Commercial Setting Influences Disinfectant Choice

There are a few important variables that should guide a cleaner’s disinfectant chemical choice:

• Speed of disinfection
• Residue
• Potential for damage
• Safety

Healthcare facilities are primarily concerned with broad-spectrum pathogen elimination capacity when making cleaning decisions. Food service businesses have a much greater concern about the risk of food contamination. It’s important that surfaces used for food preparation are thoroughly disinfected, but it’s also vital that cleaning chemical residue doesn’t contaminate food. Similar concerns exist in offices and schools where there are many high touch-point surfaces that people may touch throughout the day before touching their face or eating.

Bleach and hydrogen peroxide are both popular in healthcare settings due to their broad-spectrum potency. Cleaning in restaurants may be performed using quats cleaners, which are less corrosive than chlorine. Quats and phenolic disinfectants might also be used in schools and offices because of their lower toxicity.

Some types of cleaners, like alcohol-based solutions, have the potential to damage some fabrics or acrylic plastics, limiting their efficacy in certain settings. Businesses with a desire to be eco-conscious may also have specific environmental concerns about some cleaning chemicals. Hydrogen peroxide is an example of a cleaning chemical renowned for its versatility and environmental friendliness because it breaks down into water and oxygen and leaves behind no harmful residues that might contaminate food or make people sick.

How Commercial Cleaners Use Powerful Disinfectants Safely

Commercial cleaners in Odessa and Midland must balance the disinfecting needs of the commercial client with surface compatibility and residual toxicity when choosing the optimal cleaning chemicals.

One of the fundamental goals of commercial cleaning is to leave the space in better, safer condition than it was before the cleaning was performed – which means not damaging surfaces or equipment by using incompatible disinfectant chemicals.

Some types of disinfectant might also require proper rinsing after application to ensure residual toxicity isn’t left behind, especially on surfaces that will be used for food preparation or eating.

The strength of these disinfectants also makes the use of proper safety gear an absolute necessity.

Gloves and masks are necessary when using certain chemicals, like highly concentrated bleach or peracetic acid solutions. Failing to wear the proper protective equipment can potentially lead to skin, eye or respiratory burns and irritation.

Trust Your Commercial Cleaning to Proven Experts

The team at West Texas Commercial Cleaning goes above and beyond to provide safe and thorough disinfecting services to all types of businesses, organizations and facilities in Midland and Odessa. We use proven, industrial-grade chemicals that are safe for equipment, furniture and the occupants of the workplaces we clean.

For safe, reliable and thorough cleaning that provides consistent and reliable disinfecting results, call West Texas Commercial Cleaning at 432-552-9520.