Your home feels clean, but you still worry about germs on the surfaces everyone touches. You wipe down counters and doorknobs, but a nagging doubt remains: are they truly sanitized, or just visually clean?
You’ve likely used various sprays and wipes, assuming they’re eliminating germs. However, many common cleaning products are designed to remove visible dirt, not necessarily to reduce microbial loads. You might be wiping too quickly, or using a product that isn't formulated for true sanitization, leaving you with a false sense of security.
Cleaning removes visible dirt, dust, and grime. Sanitization goes a step further by reducing the number of bacteria and viruses on surfaces to a safe level. This requires specific chemical formulations, such as those containing quaternary ammonium compounds (quats) or hydrogen peroxide, and a critical element called "dwell time." For effective sanitization, the product must remain visibly wet on the surface for a specific duration, typically 30 to 60 seconds, allowing the chemistry to work.
Understanding the distinction between cleaning and sanitizing, and adhering to proper dwell times, is where professional cleaning makes a difference. Our team is trained to identify high-touch surfaces like door handles, light switches, faucet handles, and remote controls, and to apply the correct sanitizing agents with the necessary dwell time. This ensures a significant reduction in microbial load, something a quick wipe often misses.
When you flag this in our quote form, it goes directly into your cleaner's prep. They arrive knowing what matters to you — not learning it at the door. The same cleaner comes every visit, which means your preferences don't need to be re-explained each time. They know. Everyone who cleans for Broom works for Broom — hired, trained, and background-checked by us, not sourced from a contractor marketplace. ##
Your high-touch surfaces are not just clean; they are genuinely sanitized, significantly reducing the presence of bacteria and viruses. We achieve this by using targeted sanitizers and ensuring the product remains wet for the full dwell time on critical areas.
For initial concerns about germ buildup, a one-time deep clean can establish a thoroughly sanitized baseline. Regular recurring visits then maintain this level of sanitization on all high-touch surfaces.
Lights, Switches, Outlets, Fixtures - cleaned slightly more thoroughly
Doors and Door Frames - cleaned slightly more thoroughly
Toilet - cleaned slightly more thoroughly
Addressed in your cleaning plan when sanitization focus is flagged.
What's the difference between cleaning and sanitizing?
Cleaning removes visible dirt and debris. Sanitizing reduces the number of germs on a surface to a safe level, but doesn't necessarily kill all of them. Disinfecting kills nearly all germs.
Why is dwell time so important?
Dwell time is the amount of time a sanitizing product needs to stay wet on a surface to be effective. If it dries too quickly, the active ingredients don't have enough time to work.
Are your sanitizers safe for my family and pets?
We use products, such as hydrogen peroxide-based sanitizers, that are effective against germs while being mindful of household safety when used as directed and allowed to dry.
If sanitization is a priority — high-touch surfaces, bathrooms, kitchen — tell us in the quote form. We'll build a sanitization-first checklist with the right products on the surfaces that matter most.
Tell us about your sanitization priorities so we can build a high-touch surface plan into your home's checklist.
We'll ask about the areas that matter most and the product standard you need.
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