Since the spread of the Covid-19 virus, there is an evident spike in demand for household cleaning and personal hygiene products such as disinfectants, alcohol wipes, anti-bacterial wipes and more, as households in Singapore step up on their cleaning efforts. One particular off-the-shelves product that witnesses continuous surge even until today is none other than a supercharged cleaning agent that claims to eliminate 99.9% bacteria.
However, does an increase in cleaning frequency, along with these products, actually translate to cleaner homes? Now, we are all set to find out!
Our team at Clean Lab is very honoured to be part of the latest episode of the current affairs programme, Talking Point. Along with the host, Diana Ser, our experts visited 3 households who have embarked on an elevated cleaning routine since Covid-19 broke out. Apart from being increasingly particular about good habit of hygiene and sanitisation, these families have also ‘upped their cleaning game’ by investing in what we perceive as ‘game-changing’ cleaning products. The question is – are these really efficacious?
Unfortunately, upon the execution of our sanitisation audit and assessment, the appalling results have shown very much otherwise.
What is sanitisation audit and assessment, and what does it entail?
Sanitisation audit and assessment at Clean Lab is designed for folks who’d love to have their homes’ cleanliness standards assessed, and is especially beneficial if you are suffering from health conditions such as allergies, skin rashes and sinus, to name some.
The following testing methods were deployed to deduce the results:
- Black light assessment: From mattress, sofa and rug to kitchen, bedroom and living room, our team manually inspects these surfaces with the employment of black light. Through this assessment, we can detect revolting stains that are resulted from urine, blood, saliva and dried liquid.
- ATP testing: As exhibited in the programme, ATP testing provides you with an almost-instant result on the total dirt count lingering on these surfaces. Below is a general guideline on measuring ATP Relative Light Units value based on a residential or office unit.
| ATP reading | Results | Action required |
| 500 and below | Pass | Upkeep cleanliness standard |
| 501 to 1000 | Caution | Take action, start cleaning and disinfecting |
| Above 1000 | Fail | To take immediate action. Carry out a thorough cleaning and disinfection or seek assistance from a professional cleaning team. |
- Environmental swab test: We perform a swab on a surface, and have the sample incubated for 3 to 5 days. This swab test allows us to detect the presence of specific harmful bacteria such as E-coli, salmonella, mould, and yeast, as well as viruses such as Covid-19.
Upon receiving test results, our professional crew will return to execute proper house cleaning and disinfection work, ensuring that the results meet the passable scale. That is not all – our services also include providing on-going protection by coating your surrounding surfaces with anti-microbial protection treatment. With this treatment, a layer of positively charged molecular pins then bond to the treated surfaces and protect them against germs, bacteria, and viruses for up to 30 days for high touch surfaces, or even 90 days for low touch surfaces.
It all boils down to your everyday cleaning routine
To maintain an adequate level of hygiene standard, it has to start from the fundamental – your daily cleaning routine.
Apart from the aforementioned testing, our team is set to understand:
- Your cleaning frequency
- What products were utilised in the process
- How you use the cleaning tools and products
With that in mind, we then formulate a personalised cleaning and disinfection program, which specifically addresses your individual needs. This cleaning program is meant to complement your existing cleaning regimen.
Bottom line
Keeping viruses and bacteria at bay is not challenging, as long as you clean the right way. Should you be suffering from chronic health conditions that could be resulted from unideal cleaning habits, perhaps it is time to uncover the underlying reasons with the help of experts. As far as health is concerned, take no chances!
