The Three Tiers of Cleaning

cleaning office floors

In today’s era where cleanliness is paramount, it’s essential to fully understand the three tiers of cleaning. Understanding them fully would allow you to maintain your space safe and hygienic for everyone who enters your business, such as your employees and clients. Whether you are a business owner in the healthcare industry or service industry, constant commercial cleaning should be an integral part of your cleaning strategy. By implementing these into your cleaning strategy, having a systematic approach to cleaning shouldn’t be a problem for your business. These three tiers ensure that every surface and area in your business is thoroughly cleaned, sanitized, and disinfected. As a result, it minimizes the spread of harmful microorganisms and pathogens inside your business or workplace.

 

Picture this: you walk into a restaurant for lunch with a friend, excited to catch up over a delicious meal. As you sit down, you can’t help but notice dirt and grime on the table, the sticky residue on the menu, and the unpleasant odor emanating from the kitchen. Suddenly, your appetite disappears, and you can’t help but wonder about the cleanliness of the kitchen where your food is being prepared. Scenarios similar to this one can be avoided and it isn’t as costly as everyone thinks it is. Just simply incorporate the three tiers of cleaning (Cleaning, Sanitizing, and Disinfecting) in your business.

 

In a time where almost everyone is more conscious about cleanliness than ever, implementing the three tiers of cleaning can set your business apart in a saturated market. So why settle for a subpar cleaning routine when you can have the proper way of cleaning that prioritizes the health and safety of everyone who enters your business? 

 

Understanding the Three Tiers of Cleaning: What You Need to Know

Before you start incorporating the three tiers of cleaning in your cleaning strategy, it is important that you understand what they are and how they differ from one another. Cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting are often used interchangeably by people who aren’t familiar with them. However similar these terms may be, they still have major differences that separate them from each other. Below is their specific purpose:

Cleaning

This is the most widely used tier among the three since it doesn’t require a ton of knowledge about cleaning, and the tools and supplies you need can be easily bought. The act of cleaning involves the removal of dirt and debris from any surface to maintain its clean appearance. Additionally, it’s a preventive measure to avoid any buildup on surfaces. It is usually performed on a daily basis or as much as needed, such as sweeping or vacuuming, mopping, dusting, emptying trash bins, and more. 

 

Sanitizing

The second tier of cleaning is sanitizing. This tier is responsible for decreasing the number of harmful microorganisms and pathogens on a surface level. This tier is often performed after tier one and typically uses chemical sanitizers to get help in decreasing the number of harmful microorganisms and pathogens on the surface. Some solutions used are often alcohol-based, hydrogen peroxide, or chlorine solution. This tier is especially crucial for businesses in the food service industry where people touch surfaces frequently. To avoid the spread of germs or bacteria, sanitizing as much as needed (depending on the industry) is important.

 

Disinfecting

The third and last tier is the most intensive of the three, as it involves the use of chemicals meant to kill or eliminate harmful microorganisms such as bacteria and germs. The cleaning supplies used for disinfecting are typically EPA-approved since the products should be able to completely kill harmful microorganisms. This is the most essential tier if you want to prevent the spread of infectious diseases like the COVID-19 virus. However, this doesn’t mean that you can just skip tiers 1 and 2 when cleaning since each tier has its specific purpose. Implementing all three tiers in their proper order will maintain a safe and hygienic environment in your office.

daily office cleaning

The Importance of Implementing the Three Tiers of Cleaning in Your Business

It shows your commitment to the health and safety of your employees and customers. 

When you prioritize cleanliness, you are creating a welcoming and safe environment that ensures your customers and employees. It also gives them confidence in your business resulting in increased customer loyalty and low turnover rates.

 

Improves overall experience, both for employees and customers. 

A well-kept establishment shapes a positive first impression which makes your customers and employees feel comfortable and valued during their stay. 

 

Prevents the spread of infectious diseases.

If your business is in the healthcare, food service, or hospitality industry then this is your top priority, preventing the spread of infectious diseases in your business establishment.

 

Sets you apart from your competitors.

As we mentioned earlier, people are more conscious about cleanliness than ever. That’s why keeping your business clean, sanitized, and disinfected would make you stand out from your competitors. Keeping business cleanliness doesn’t only serve as a safety measure but it can also serve as a marketing strategy!

 

How to Incorporate The Three Tiers of Cleaning into Your Cleaning Strategy

We know that incorporating the three tiers of cleaning into your cleaning strategy may seem intimidating, but with the right plan, you would be surprised at how easy it is to implement them. Below are a few steps to guide you in implementing these three tiers and make it look like you hired a commercial cleaning service provider.

 

Assess your business cleaning needs.

Cleaning is not a one size fits all thing since there are industries that need this type of cleaning, but this industry doesn’t. That’s why analyzing what your business’ cleaning needs are is crucial. Knowing what needs cleaning makes it easier to plan ahead.

 

Determine which surfaces require cleaning, sanitizing, or disinfecting.

Every surface has a different cleaning treatment since some just need constant cleaning to stay hygienic, while others require some deep disinfection to categorize them as “cleaned”. Identifying which tier your surface needs will save you a lot of time, effort, and cleaning supplies.

 

Formulate a cleaning schedule for each tier.

This step is quite easy since all you have to do is make a cleaning schedule. The commonly known cleaning schedule would be: surfaces under cleaning should be cleaned daily or as much as needed, while surfaces under sanitizing or disinfecting only require a weekly or monthly implementation.

 

Research the most appropriate cleaning products to use on different materials.

There are suitable products for each type of surface material and knowing which ones are the most appropriate for the surfaces inside your business is essential. Some cleaning supplies can either damage or destroy your surfaces if they are too harsh or it won’t properly clean them if it’s too mild for that surface.

professional cleaners of BCS

Train your cleaning staff or better yet hire a commercial cleaning company.

Ensure that your cleaning staff are properly trained on the proper execution for each tier to achieve maximum results. If you don’t have cleaning staff in your business, then try looking for companies offering office cleaning services. 


If you have a business in Tolland County, Connecticut, or anywhere near and you have cleaning needs to be met, then Burgos Cleaning should be your go-to commercial cleaning company. At Burgos Cleaning, we ensure high-quality results for small offices to large office buildings. With a team of trained professionals on our side, you won’t have to worry about having an untidy business. Call us now to get started with your consultation!