Terms Everyone in the Cleaning Industry Should Know

The cleaning industry has its own specific terms that may be unfamiliar to those outside the industry. Here are some key terms that everyone in the cleaning industry should know: disinfect, antibacterial, decontamination, sanitize, and deep cleaning. Disinfecting means to kill 99.999% of pathogens listed on the label, while antibacterial refers to substances that kill or slow the growth of bacteria. Decontamination is the physical removal or reduction of microorganisms or dangerous substances, and sanitizing means reducing but not killing 99.9% of microorganisms on an object or surface in 30 seconds or less. Deep cleaning is a term used to describe cleaning services or actions that provide a higher or deeper level of cleaning than standard cleaning processes.