5 Cleaning House Facts You Should Know During Cold and Flu Season

When the cold season sets in, chances of contracting cold and flu increase. Being an infectious disease, there is no amount of cleaning and protection can guarantee that you are 100% safe from cold and flu. However, it is essential to get informed about what works and doesn't work to ensure everything you do is realistic and effective in fighting cold and flu. The following are five cleaning facts that you should be aware of in regards to home cleaning during the cold and flu season:

Sanitizing and Disinfecting are Different: Most people will refer to sanitizing and disinfecting as the same thing. However, there is a massive difference between the two. Sanitizing eliminates 99.9% of bacteria only while disinfecting will kill practically all viruses, bacteria, and fungi on the area being disinfected. It may seem like a negligible difference, but when sanitization is done properly, it will reduce 1,000-fold in the exposure of germs while disinfecting will give 100,000-fold protection against germs.
Disinfecting isn't Necessary Unless in Extreme Situations: While disinfecting may seem like the best approach to germs on the surfaces, it is not necessary unless there are people who are actively sick, their immune is compromised, or are high-risk such as the elderly or infants. Doing the hospital-level disinfecting in your home will properly overkill germs. For typical home cleaning and hygiene, sanitizing is enough. Regular sanitizing and hand-washing, eating healthy, getting enough rest, and following other routine health exercises will be enough to fight germs. You can disinfect the areas that are highly touched by many people, such as the doorknobs, toilet flushers, light switches, and drawer handles, among others.
Sanitizers and Disinfectants Don't Eliminate 100% Infectious Germs: Sanitizing and disinfecting doesn't guarantee that all germs on a surface are killed. By claiming a cleaning solution eliminates 99.9% of germs, the manufacturer needs to prove the solution can get rid of disease-causing organisms on a flat, clean, and non-porous surface. You will need to read the fine print of the solution to know what it can eliminate and what it can't.
Disinfectants Lose their Effectiveness When Applied on Extremely Dirty Surfaces: While cleaning solutions claim to fight up to 99.999% of germs on a surface, it can only do so if applied on a clean surface. The grime and dirt on a filthy surface may provide cover to germs on a surface, and when a disinfectant is applied, it won't be effective in eliminating them. Furthermore, even if you eliminate germs on a grimy surface, there are high chances they will re-develop again. You should always clean dirt and grime on a surface before using disinfectant to make it effective.
You Should Follow Manufacturer's Instruction to Make Disinfectants Effective: If you want a disinfectant to be effective, you should use it as directed by the manufacturer. Always read the fine details before using it. For instance, you may have to do multiple wipes on a surface to get rid of all of the germs. Furthermore, you may have to soak the surface in the disinfecting solution to achieve desirable results.

Dashing Maids is here to help with your cleaning needs. Call us to schedule your next cleaning.

Customer Testimonials

I was extremely pleased with Ashley’s team and they left my house extra-sparkling, making me look good for my in-laws’ visit. All traces of puppy fur and hard-to-remove gunk removed, and the house smelled clean, like lavender (not harsh chemicals). This is thorough, professional, fairly priced, and courteous service. All the stars!”

Stacey P.

“We are very pleased with the service we received with Dashing Maids. Their communication and customer service is superb! Ashley is professional and has great attention to detail. She took the time to take notes on all the areas in our house that I wanted to have cleaned during our first walk through, which I really appreciated. In the past, I’ve done walk throughs with other cleaning companies, explained what I wanted cleaned, they nod “yes” and then didn’t follow through. When Dashing Maids came to clean on our scheduled date, they were very efficient. Everything looked great when they were finished and I’m looking forward to having Dashing Maids return on a regular basis.”

Kara S.

“I have never had a cleaning service, but considered it often. Dashing Maids put a flyer on my door which intrigued me enough to call them. I was impressed with their initiative and enthusiasm that I hired them after our initial meeting. Now every other week I get to come home to a wonderfully clean house with their charming additions that make me smile. I’m not sure they are trying to turn my “black thumb” into a greenish one, but I haven’t killed the lucky bamboo they left as a surprise yet. I’d fully endorse them as a cleaning, Dashing Maids service.”

Maggie B.

“It’s so nice to come home to a sparkling clean house! I’ve worked with other cleaning companies in the past and Dashing Maids always provides a more thorough clean than I’ve found with other companies for a very reasonable price. Plus, they’re great with my dog and don’t mind that he’s at home when they come to clean. I highly recommend Dashing Maids!”

Miriam T.

“There is no one that cleans our house as well as Katie does! She is meticulous and genuinely loves to clean, and it absolutely shows. We love it when it is our cleaning day. I could not be happier with the services provided by her and the Dashing Maids company. They are responsive, timely, and have overall been a pleasure to work with. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a reliable cleaning company.”

Kristin W.

“I have been using Dashing Maids for several years now, and appreciate the communication and consistency with which our home is cleaned. The cleaner that always treats our home as if it were hers is Katie. Thanks Katie for your hard work!”

Michelle C.

“Hannah G was great! She even left a nice note on my countertop that said, “Have a great weekend!” I love personal touches like that.”

Katelyn Z.

“Thank you Talon! It was great to walk into my office today to have it sparkly clean and ready for a week of patients!”

Emmy C.

"We have been dashing maids customers for a couple of years now and the service is always impeccable. Most recently our cleaning team has included Katie and Hannah, and I always get excited when I see them arrive. I know my house will be clean and I’ll get the pleasure of their company while they clean it. They do a great job and give me such peace of mind!”

Stephanie B.

“Ashley and her crew are the best house cleaning service I have ever employed. So friendly and so fast, yet so thorough. My house feels and smells so clean, and that freshness lasts. Would highly recommend to all my friends."

Kellie C.

We've been fortunate to have Dashing Maids clean our home for the past several years. Ashley and her entire team have been great to work with. We'd recommend them without reservation. Most recently, Tori and Carol cleaned our home with detail and care.

Rachel L.

We really appreciate our cleaner,
Lily! She does more than just a quick “once over”. She recently found a class ring that had been missing for ages- thank you for a job well done! Dashing Maids delivers thoroughgoing service every time

Larry S.

Such a positive experience the whole time they were in my home. And the results are amazing. Very happy with the service and the staff. I knew what to expect but the outcomes exceeded my expectations. Lily, Mikayla and Alicia did so great!