04/17/2020
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT:
Do you know the difference between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting? Most people don't...but that's ok. Because we do! And we're gonna give you a brief breakdown here, specifically how these processes work within the car detailing world...
Cleaning = when you use your chemical cleaner/soap and microfiber towel to pickup and wipe away germs. This doesn't "kill" germs or bacteria from the surface, but you really lower the risk of spreading them with general cleaning methods.
How to clean = spray, agitate with soft bristle brush (when necessary), and wipe dry with quality microfiber towel.
Sanitizing = when you use a chemical or steam to kill germs on the surface. This takes much less dwell time (5-20 secs, depending on the process) than disinfecting, although they are similar methods. But reducing the amount of germs on the surface will reduce risk and keep it safe. So cleaning the surface first, then sanitizing is usually recommended. However, it stands to reason we can flip the process; kill the germs first, then come back over with your cleaner and wipe dry. Let's keep in mind though, that for a surface to be officially considered "sanitized," the amount of bacteria has to be reduced to 99.90% according to the EPA. But don't worry; if you keep up with basic cleaning and sanitizing methods on your high traffic surfaces, you're gonna be doing really well 👍
How to sanitize = with a steamer at about 300°F, you can pass over a surface for 5 secs to sanitize it 💨💨 Be careful, as very hot steam can quickly deteriorate many auto interior surfaces with prolonged exposure 🚫 With a chemical process, the easiest way is an isopropyl alcohol product with at least 60% ABV according to the EPA. Generally, I dilute my spray bottle down from 90% IPA to between 60-70% with clean water, for auto interior surfaces. usually the dwell time is about 10 secs, but as you'll notice with 70% ABV or higher solutions, it will evaporate very quickly ⏱️ In that case you can spray directly on to surface, let sit for about 5-8 secs (while I wait, I spray my microfiber towel with the same IPA solution), then wipe the area clean with your dampened towel ✅ With any other "sanitizing" chemicals, just read the labels and make sure it's actually gonna do its job!
Disinfecting = when you use chemicals to reduce the bacteria level by 99.999% according to the EPA. This doesn't seem like a big difference to sanitizing, but as you can imagine this is important in places like hospitals and similar places where surfaces and tools need to be as perfectly clean as possible 🏥✨ This is not necessarily needed for our daily living conditions. Plus, this process requires harsh solutions that need to sit for 3-10 mins usually, to effectively kill all the bacteria and germs. Once again, the surface may still remain dirty after disinfection, but will be virtually bacteria-free. So again, this process doesn't work well with auto interiors...especially expensive, sensitive ones! 💰
Bottom Line:
So it may not be necessary to disinfect every nook and cranny in your car or around your house, nor is it always possible. But by means of proper cleaning and occasional sanitizing methods, we can effectively reduce the spread of dirt, germs and bacteria. Regularly maintaining the cleanliness of your body (especially hands 👐) and your car will keep you safe and lower the risk of possible virus spreading.
Stay safe, stay clean, stay protected! 🤙🤙🤙
