MYTH: One product can clean everything

This is the most important distinction in infection control. Cleaning removes dirt and organic matter. Disinfection kills or inactivates microorganisms to a level that reduces infection risk. These are chemically different processes that often require different products used in sequence. A general-purpose cleaner may clean a surface perfectly well. It may not disinfect it at all.

European efficacy standards define exactly what a disinfectant must prove before it can make a kill claim - testing specific microorganisms, under defined conditions, at specific contact times.

These standards don’t set a low bar. EN 1276 and EN 13727 (bactericidal) typically require a >5-log reduction (99.999% kill rate), while EN 14476 (virucidal) and EN 1650 (fungicidal/yeasticidal) generally require a >4-log reduction (99.99%) - all achieved under exact tested conditions, at defined concentrations and contact times. Claims of efficacy beyond those parameters have no legal or scientific basis.

A good general cleaner covers a lot of ground – and will handle the majority of day-to-day cleaning tasks competently. That's not in question. The problem is what it can't do, and what happens when those limits go unrecognised.

Degreasing kitchen surfaces demands a powerful, food-safe active ingredient capable of cutting through fats and starches. Descaling washrooms requires targeted acid-based chemistry to break down limescale and uric acid at source. Glass and stainless steel need a streak-free specialist formula. Laundry requires low-pH chemistry gentle enough for elderly and sensitive skin.

Using the wrong product in the wrong place doesn't always look like a problem. Surfaces can appear clean while bacteria remain. Odours return within hours. Residues accumulate on surfaces that residents touch every day.

In a care home, the gap between "looks clean" and "is clean" is one you can't afford.

PlatinumEco brings plant-derived cleaning formulated for care homes – made from sustainable, renewable sources that biodegrade, reducing impact on people and the planet at every stage of the product lifecycle.

PlatinumEco represents real, measurable progress toward reducing your environmental footprint and supporting your organisation in meeting its own sustainability goals and obligations.