What is dirt?

Everything that is not to be present there! The dirt is divided into two groups:

          a) The dirt that can be perceived by our sense organs. For example; dirt on our clothes, hands, in our toilets, air pollution, noise pollution and visual pollution.  

            b) The dirt that is formed by the microorganisms and can be just detected with special equipments (microscope)

           When we consider from the aspect of hygiene, the dirt which cannot be perceived by our sense organs constitutes the most threatening element and the reason for this danger is the macroscopic (visible) dirt. There are some conditions which is required by the pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, fungi) which is known as microbe to survive and to reach the required number to cause a disease. These conditions are:

Moisture

Temperature

Nutrient

pH Value

What is hygienic cleaning?

The microorganisms seek for the ambient conditions that are suitable for us from the aspect of moisture, temperature and pH value. One nutrient that is required for their proliferation is the organic pollution.

We can exemplify the organic pollution with such macroscopic dirt as urine, blood, sweat and meal leftovers. For this reason our hands, toilets, kitchens, refrigerators and dustbins are of the utmost importance for our hygienic environment.

In the framework of hygiene measures, there are lots of risky situations that we do not pay the necessary attention. For example, the risk level is considerably high in a house in which a pet is kept. There are lots of microorganisms live in the flora of a pet, which do not show any pathogenic effect on this pet. Contamination is carried out continuously with path of breath, sweat and contact. One another risky area is the houses in which a baby live. It is necessary to take the required care to the hygiene measures as the babies’ immune systems are weak and they are in contact with all kinds of surfaces.

It is necessary to wipe the macroscopic dirt in the environment firstly to make cleaning in the within the hygiene measures. The extermination of the macroscopic dirt prevents the proliferation of the microorganisms; however it does not remove them. For an effective cleaning it is necessary to exterminate the microorganisms which are not seen by our sense organs beside the macroscopic ones. It is called disinfection for the extermination of the microscopic dirt.

What is the difference between the detergent and the disinfectant?

Detergents: In the society the cleaning of detergent and disinfectant is confused. The detergents are the chemicals that assist to the water in the cleaning by decreasing the surface tension of the water. In the disinfection process, such cleaners as detergents, shampoos and soaps are not used. These kinds of products are the cleaners which are of little, if any, effective. The detergents are used in the extermination of the macroscopic (visible) dirt.

Disinfectants: Many other materials which are stronger and different in origin are used in disinfection. An effective disinfectant shall exterminate 99.999% of the harmful microorganisms in a short time. They should maintain its effectiveness for a long time and they should not pose any harmful effect for the human health. Disinfectants are used in the extermination of the invisible dirt.

How the hygienic cleaning is performed?

There are three methods for performing a hygienic cleaning:

First remove the visible dirt, and then performing disinfection: At first a cleaning is made with detergent and then the disinfection of the surface is made. (Ex: this process may be preferred if the whole surface of a room is necessary to make disinfection.)

First performing disinfection, and then doing cleaning: In some risky situations making the sole cleaning at first may cause the microorganisms to disperse and to be carried among the surfaces. To not cause such situations it is necessary to clear up the visible dirt and then the disinfection application is made and its activation time is waited. After the disinfection process, the sole cleaning is to be made. (Ex: this process may be preferred if some points of a room are thought to make hygienic cleaning.)

Making both the cleaning and disinfection at a once: There are some disinfectants that carrying detergent features. The disinfection is made along the cleaning at the same time. These kinds of products have a long life protective effect against the microorganisms. (It should be preferred in the areas where there is not coarse pollution.)

What is contamination?

The word contamination means getting dirty or transmission of infection. Here the contamination is described as contagion of microorganisms or the infection which is of the utmost importance for human health.

It is said contamination for the transfer of the dirt indirectly from a dirty ambiance to clean surface, environment or tissue. In this point a transporter is needed for the transfer. The best known transporters are humans, birds and animals.

Source of Contamination: HUMAN

Contamination Area                         Number of Microorganisms

 Finger Tip                                        * 20 – 100  pieces /cm2

 Hands                                             * 1.000 – 6.000 pieces /cm2

 Arm                                                * 100 – 4.500   pieces /cm2

 Foot                                                * 100 – 1.000   pieces /cm2

 Saliva                                              * 1 million – 100 million pieces /ml

 Feces                                              * Hundred billions pieces /gram

 Nasal flow                                        * 1 million – 10 million pieces /ml

 ! Do you know our hands and mouth are dirtier than our feet?