Understand The Difference Between Cleaning and Disinfecting

If you’ve ever wondered whether cleaning and disinfecting are the same thing, it’s a very good question to ask. Many people use the terms interchangeably, but they serve very different purposes when it comes to maintaining healthy hygiene.

In this article, we’ll break down the difference between cleaning and disinfecting, explain why both matter, and show you how Vera Clean can simplify your routine with one powerful yet gentle cleaning solution.

🧽 What Does Cleaning Do?

Cleaning is the process of physically removing dirt, dust, grime, food particles, and some germs from surfaces. It’s what makes your countertops look tidy and your floors feel fresh. While cleaning improves the appearance of surfaces and may remove some germs, many cleaning products aren’t designed to disinfect. For example, wiping down a benchtop with a damp cloth removes visible crumbs, but it doesn’t necessarily eliminate bacteria or viruses left behind. Cleaning with vinegar, soap, lemon, and bicarb soda can remove grime, but it doesn’t address the problem of germs.

If you want to disinfect, cleaning beforehand is important, especially in kitchens, bathrooms, and high-touch areas.

🧴 What Is Disinfecting?

Disinfecting goes beyond surface cleaning. It involves using chemicals to kill germs like bacteria, viruses, and fungi. Disinfectants are typically regulated and tested to meet certain germ-killing standards. However, disinfecting does not clean. If a surface is dirty, the disinfectant might not work properly, because the grime/surface biofilm creates a barrier between the germs and the active ingredients.

Household multi-purpose cleaners may disinfectant, but many of these also contain harsh ingredients such as:

Alcohol or ethanol
Chlorine bleach
Hydrogen peroxide

While effective, these chemicals can be irritating to the skin, harmful when inhaled, and damaging to surfaces with repeated use.

It can also extremely hard to find a multi-purpose cleaner that is truly fragrance-free, which can be a risk factor for people with sensitive skin and sense of smell as well as those with allergies and special needs.

🚫 Cleaning vs Disinfecting: Why the Difference Matters

To effectively reduce the spread of germs, cleaning and disinfecting should ideally be done in two steps:

Clean the surface to remove dirt and debris.
Disinfect the clean surface to kill remaining germs.

However, people rarely do both especially when dealing with multiple rooms, kids, pets, or sensitive skin. Many also don’t understand the dangers involved in using multiple products to clean and disinfect.

For example, people might be inclined to use bleach to disinfect a bathroom, not understanding that to clean and disinfect properly, they must first clean the area first before applying bleach. But because bleach is deactivated on contact with organic matter such as faeces and blood, there is the potential for cross reactions and toxic fumes because bleach (sodium hypochlorite) reacts with other solutions such as alcohol, ammonia, and acids (like vinegar), some of which can be extremely dangerous especially in low-ventilated areas.

To avoid toxic chemicals in their home, people may opt to use a solution that is eco-friendly, plant-based, and non-reactive. However, many conventional products still contain synthetic fragrances and are single-use only, meaning you still have to perform multiple steps of cleaning and disinfection when cleaning. These are just some of the problems Vera Clean aims to address.

🌿 Vera Clean: A Safer and Robust Cleaning Solution

Vera Clean is a gentle yet powerful 4-in-1 cleaning concentrate that:

Cleans dirt and grime
Sanitises and kills 99.99% of germs
Deodorises at the source with no added fragrance
Protects against germ regrowth and daily buildup of biofilm

And it does all this without alcohol, colours, fragrances, or harsh chemicals.

Why choose Vera Clean?

✅ TGA-approved and NDIS compliant product
🌱 Low-tox, biodegradable, and alcohol-free
🧼 Gentle on skin, causes no stinging or dryness, and no lingering odours making it great to clean food equipment
💧 High safety profile designed for use in food prep areas, cleaning toys, and removing stains in fabrics
🫧 Designed to simultaneously clean and disinfect
🧽 Removes odours and prevents germ regrowth by stripping the surface biofilm so the surface can be cleaned properly and thoroughly
🦘 Australian-made and family-owned in Perth

Vera is ideal for busy households, carers, parents, and businesses looking for a reliable and eco-friendly cleaner that does it all, so you can focus more on your day rather than the germs.

💧 How to Use Vera Clean

Vera is sold as a highly potent concentrate, and can be diluted with clean water according to your cleaning needs.

Use it as a multipurpose cleaner and sanitiser on:

Kitchen surfaces and appliances
Bathroom sinks and toilets
Car interiors and windows
High chairs, toys, and baby gear
Laundry
Hands (buy a Vera Sanitiser or use your own spray/foam bottle to make your own portable hand/surface sanitiser)

🧼 Cleaning and Disinfecting Aren’t the Same. Vera Does Both!

Understanding the difference between cleaning and disinfecting helps you make smarter, safer choices for yourself your family, pets, and the environment. With Vera Clean, you don’t need separate products or harsh chemicals to get the job done. It’s a multi-purpose solution that has been specifically designed to prevent cross-contamination, cross-reactions, and adverse side-effects– hazards which are typically found in most other cleaning products.

👉 Shop Vera Clean now and prioritise healthy hygiene.

What’s The Difference Between Disinfecting and Cleaning? Here’s What You Need to Know