by Brianna Crandall — April 16, 2012—Spray Nine, Permatex’s brand of specialty cleaning products and innovator of what the company says is the industry’s first “spray-on, wipe-off” cleaner disinfectant, recently released the “3 P’s of Disinfecting” to help professional cleaners maintain a safe, clean environment in honor of National Public Health Week, April 2-8.
“With the arrival of National Public Health Week, professional cleaners should be recognized for their role in preventing the spread of diseases in office buildings, hospitals, schools and many other public places throughout the world,” said ITW Permatex Market Manager Cary Zelich. “By keeping the ‘3 P’s of Disinfecting’ top-of-mind, they can further ensure that they maintain the most effective first-line of defense in preventing the public outbreak of diseases.”
Spray Nine’s “3 P’s of Disinfecting” include:
- Product—Use only disinfectants registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), which ensures they have been scientifically tested and proven to perform for the intended use site. Look for an EPA registration number on the product label or visit the EPA database.
- Procedure—Follow the proper procedure when applying a product. Every disinfectant lists a “contact time” or a “dwell time” on the label, which could be anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. Surfaces being disinfected must be left wet with the product for the entire duration of this time. If not, the disinfectant may fail to kill all the germs, and the disinfectant must be reapplied.
- Place—For the cleaning product and procedure to be effective, it is critical to clean the proper places. Disinfect high-traffic areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, break rooms, office areas, classrooms, locker rooms and cafeterias often. Other surfaces prone to contact include desks, tables, chairs, benches, lockers, toys, door knobs, light switches, sinks, toilets, showers and refrigerator exteriors to name a few.
- Procedure—Follow the proper procedure when applying a product. Every disinfectant lists a “contact time” or a “dwell time” on the label, which could be anywhere from 30 seconds to 10 minutes. Surfaces being disinfected must be left wet with the product for the entire duration of this time. If not, the disinfectant may fail to kill all the germs, and the disinfectant must be reapplied.
Along with following the “3P’s of Disinfecting,” Zelich says understanding the differences between cleaning, sanitizing and disinfecting is key distinction all cleaning professionals need to know.
“Cleaning merely removes visible soil, dirt, stains and other debris from surfaces and is generally performed by wiping surfaces down using a multi-purpose cleaner or soap and water,” explains Zelich. “Sanitizing is the process of reducing the number of disease-causing germs on cleaned surfaces to a safe level, while disinfection is a chemical process that actually destroys viruses, bacteria, germs and other harmful microorganisms.”
Spray Nine is manufactured by Permatex, a Connecticut-based division of Illinois Tool Works Inc. that manufactures, distributes and markets premium chemical products to commercial, automotive, industrial and consumer markets.
