Are You Trying to Make One Product Do Two Different Jobs?

Fri, 21 Aug 2026 15:09:27 GMT

Cleaning and sanitising are not always the same thing

At Hygiene Stores, we’re often asked whether a combined detergent and sanitiser can be used for floor cleaning, particularly within food manufacturing environments.

While combined products can have a place in certain applications, we do not generally recommend relying on a combined cleaner/sanitiser for heavily soiled food factory floors .

The key reason is simple: cleaning and sanitising have two distinct jobs.

The evidence supports a two-stage approach

A review by the UK Food Standards Agency found that alkaline and chlorinated-alkaline cleaning solutions were effective at removing food soils , whereas acid and sanitising solutions left soil behind in the studies reviewed.

It also highlighted that sanitisers and disinfectants are not effective at removing allergenic food soils on their own .

Where significant levels of grease, fats, proteins and other organic soils are present, these soils can also reduce the effectiveness of a sanitiser .

Our recommended process for food-industry floors:

1. Degrease / Clean

Remove grease, fats, proteins, food residues and general soil.

↓

2. Rinse / Remove Chemical and Soil

Leave the floor genuinely clean — not simply visually clean.

↓

3. Sanitise

Apply the sanitiser at the manufacturer’s specified concentration and contact time.

↓

4. Allow the Required Contact Time

Rinse if required and return the floor to service in accordance with the product instructions.

Don't ask your sanitiser to do the degreaser's job

Using a separate degreasing detergent and sanitiser gives you greater control over two essential hygiene objectives:

First: Effective removal of organic soil and contamination.

Then: Microbiological reduction on a properly cleaned surface.

A combined cleaner/sanitiser should only be relied upon where it has been specifically formulated, tested and validated for the actual soil loading, surface, application method, concentration, contact time and microbiological requirements of the environment.

Need advice on the right floor cleaning solution?

At Hygiene Stores, we can help you select the right products and cleaning process for your environment.

hygiene-stores