Enhanced cleaning requires the use of cleaning products adapted to the desired action and to the types of surfaces to be cleaned. The effectiveness of these solutions is based on four inseparable chemical, mechanical, thermal and temporal factors, better known as the Sinner circle or TACT.
Temperature
Hot water is a catalyst to accelerate the chemical reaction between the cleaning agent and the soil and facilitates the dissolution and removal of the soil. Disinfection is always faster at higher temperatures, but water that is too hot can have the opposite effect.
- By coagulating certain protein soils (blood, egg, etc.) on the surface, which then form a thin film on their surface, very difficult to clean and on which germs can settle and grow.
- By causing the evaporation or deactivation of certain active ingredients in detergents and disinfectants, which reduces their effectiveness.
- By causing the formation of water vapour, the suspended droplets may contain pathogens, and thus re-contaminate the cleaned surfaces.
The optimal water temperature for effective enzymatic cleaning is around 45°C.
Mechanical action
It is a physical force that supports the detergent and helps loosen and disperse the soil in the cleaning product, detergent or disinfectant.
Product concentration
An overdosed detergent or disinfectant leads to a series of non-negligible consequences for cleaning results that are equivalent or inferior to an adequate dosage.
- Waste of solution and therefore unnecessary expenses
- Difficulties in applying the product
- Difficulty in rinsing and therefore the risk of residual traces of the product on the surfaces
- A product that is too concentrated can become irritating
- Pollution problems linked to the release into the environment
- Inefficiency of the chemical action of the product: a disinfectant that is too concentrated causes organic and inorganic matter to coagulate on the surface
Conversely, an underdosed product decreases the effectiveness of the cleaning and increases the risk of germ growth, as dirt remains on the surface. It also compromises the biocidal action of a disinfectant solution. Excessive dilution can dramatically reduce the chemical activity of the product. The recommended dilutions should therefore be strictly adhered to.
The action time of the product
Often perceived as a constraint, the product’s action time is one of the first factors to be reduced. Nevertheless, this time is necessary for the biochemical action of detergents and disinfectants to take place.
This time is all the more important when it comes to a disinfectant solution. The contact time determines its spectrum of action. This time should not be shortened by premature rinsing or evaporation of the product. Most liquid solution products, when used at recommended concentrations, require a minimum of 5-10 minutes contact time to kill vegetative bacteria, and more than 10 minutes to kill bacterial spores and viruses.
