Coronavirus, first detected in China at the end of 2019, took the world by storm with dreadful consequences. The world as a whole is paralyzed ever since the virus has announced its presence in the world. COVID-19 has not only affected our daily lives but has also slowed down the global economy. 

Covid-19 victims display symptoms like cough, fever, cold, tastelessness, breathlessness, and pneumonia, and the virus is air borne, easily getting spread through the droplets from cough or sneeze. The best way to avoid catching the infection is to use a mask and to ensure social distancing in public. 

It has suddenly created a whole new focus (a world-wide one at that!) towards the importance of regular cleaning and disinfecting our surroundings, our work places, our homes and buildings. The pandemic situation has also made people embrace, understand and understand the need for personal hygiene, keeping our environment clean and sanitizing.

Well, as the saying goes, prevention is better than cure. 

So, let us begin by understanding the benefits of sanitizing and how it must become an essential part of our routine. Have a good look at the three major things which you must remember while disinfecting surfaces. 

What are the benefits of Sanitizing?

• Reduced pathogens –

Sanitizers and disinfectants are products made with the purpose of killing bacteria, germs and viruses.  These products more often than not are able to kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria that rest in your hands or on surfaces. Consistent sanitizing means a reduction in the rate of the growth of the pathogens. It reduces the chances of infection and disease spreading. 

• Reduced medical costs –

Sanitization is better than landing up in a hospital with some disease and paying thousands of rupees for the same. Ensure to take all the preventive measures for disinfecting yourself and your surroundings to avoid any visit to the doctor.

• Reduced allergies – 

The spaces and surroundings where you work or live in might appear clean to you most times. But you never know the amount of pathogens it carries. These pathogens might end up resulting in allergy or infection. Thus, it is best to use disinfectant after cleaning surfaces around you. 

The same goes for your mobile phone or laptops. You must wipe it daily with an excellent disinfecting spray to protect yourself from any harmful allergy or infection. 

The sanitization process is not only effective for killing the infection living in your house, but it is also best for reducing the negative and stressful vibes from your surroundings. It is because disinfecting the areas around you would anxiety and tension of the possibility of being hit by the virus. 

COVID-19 has pushed everyone including Singapore to follow better cleaning and disinfecting measures than ever before. Little changes can cause major effects, so hopefully, we would soon win this war over COVID-19. 

What are the key concerns you should consider when disinfecting surfaces?

Cleaning VS Disinfecting 

First and foremost, let us understand the difference between cleaning and disinfecting. Most people never thought that anything else could be better than just cleaning the visible dust from the surfaces. Due to the present condition, it is essential to understand the differences of these separate activities and the importance behind each one.  

Many people often confuse cleaning with disinfecting. Therefore, it becomes a necessity to make people understand the difference between the two.

Cleaning is the process of removing any visible dirt, dust, or grime accumulated on any surface. You can clean these surfaces using a duster or a broom. However, the process of eliminating invisible pathogens present on a surface is known as a disinfection process. 

In this year of the COVID-19 pandemic, many great brands have come up with disinfectant sprays that work best for reducing the growth rate of the pathogens.  

The concept of cleaning and disinfecting surfaces is pretty simple. The idea is to clean the surface before wiping it with a disinfecting solution. Thus, it is important to eliminate any stubborn dust before proceeding with surface sterilization; otherwise, the results won't be highly satisfying. 

Impact of disinfection on the concept of log reduction

If you are new to the concept of log reduction, then let us begin by informing you about what exactly it is. It is a term used for referring to the number of microbes eradicated by a surface disinfectant.

Usually, a disinfectant may vary anywhere between three log reduction to a six log reduction. Higher the number of log reduction, the higher the chances of eliminating microbes by using that particular disinfectant. 

The assimilated log reduction figures are as follow:

• Three log reduction kills 99.9% of microbes
• Four log reduction kills 99.99% of microbes
• Five log reduction kills 99.999% of microbes
• Six log reduction kills 99.9999% of microbes

Facilities like medical clinics or hospitals opt for six log reduction disinfectant to kill about 99.9999% of microbes. On the other side, facilities like corporate offices, grocery marts, and other supermarkets have three log reduction disinfectants that are likely to kill 99.9% of germs.

A mere look over the percentage of microbes might seem normal to a layman, however the difference is significant. Imagine there are 1 million germs on your dining table, and you are using a three log reduction disinfectant spray on it. Do you think it would help you? 

Definitely not! 

For getting the best results in this condition, you must use a six-log reduction disinfectant spray on it. In case you don't have a six log reduction disinfecting solution, then about 1000 microbes would still be there. 

Isn't that huge?

The good news is that most disinfectant manufacturing companies are now coming up with a higher number of log reduction sprays that would help fight the coronavirus in a much effective way. 

What are the crucial points you should follow before disinfecting?

If you think that you can carry out the disinfecting processes based on your knowledge, you probably ought to hire some professional health. If you intend to carry out the disinfection and you are new to all this, get a friend or family member to do it with you, avoid doing it without any assistance. 

• Always wear disposable gloves and a face mask before you begin with the process of cleaning and disinfecting. 
• Start with cleaning surfaces with a mixture of soap and water, followed by a disinfecting process.
• Please do a thorough research of the surface's nature before you disinfect it? 
• Once you are done with your work, remove the gloves and wash your face and hands to eradicate germs.
• Keep elderly, children, and pets away from the area that you are disinfecting
• Ensure proper ventilation in the room

Keeping the surface wet while disinfecting

According to surface sterilization experts, one must ensure that the surface is visibly wet while applying disinfectant on it. Wet surfaces help you to keep track of what all places are yet left to get sanitized.  

Now that you are fully aware of the essential points which are to be considered before surface sterilization, then let's have a look at the measures that are essential before initiating the disinfecting process.

Conclusion

Encourage everyone to wash their hands frequently. Make sure to carry your mask and a bottle of sanitizer with you before you leave your house. Follow a thorough cleaning and disinfecting routine to avoid virus transmission. Hopefully, you would take the initiative to follow all the tips mentioned above to live a healthy life in Singapore.  

Stay safe, stay protected and stay healthy!