Brief Glossary of House Cleaning Terms & Lingo

You certainly have your own housekeeping routine, but you may also use your own terminology when it comes to different tasks, products, and supplies. However, professional services use their own lingo. While some of it may correspond to your own terms, other words may be alien to you. 

If you’re in the habit of hiring a reputable company in Ledyard, CT to do some residential cleaning for you, you might be interested in the correct meaning of certain terms for best customer experience. Have a look at some of the most common expressions. 

What are the terms of cleaning?

What’s the meaning of dwell time? Is sanitizing the same as disinfecting? This simple glossary will sort everything out for you. 

• Antibacterial – being able to slow the growth or kill bacteria; it doesn’t apply to viruses.
• Cleaning – the action of identifying, removing, and disposing of undesired substances; it normally involves a solution or soap; it removes microorganisms, but it doesn’t kill them.
• Conditioning – the process of applying a product to leather or wooden surfaces to improve their appearance and prolong their lifespan.
• Decontamination – removal or reduction of dangerous substances or microorganisms by sterilization or disinfection, or using a method of chemical neutralization.
• Deep cleaning – while a standard definition for this term doesn’t exist, companies use it to denote specific actions or services referring to a more intense type of cleaning.
• Disinfect – to kill pathogens that are listed on the label of a disinfectant; however, it’s 99.999% efficient only if you first clean the area and then let the disinfectant sit on the surface for the dwell time recommended on the label.
• Duster – a tool with a handle and a soft cloth material or feathers that you can use to remove dust from a surface.
• Dusting – removing dust from a surface by means of a duster or a damp cloth.
• Dwell time – the time period that a product should be in contact with a surface in order to be efficient; while the usual time is 10 minutes, always check the label for instructions.
• Green cleaning – using environmentally friendly products instead of harsh chemicals.
• Hand detailing – using a cloth to wipe down all the details of an item such as engravings on an object, individual slats of blinds, or baseboard moldings.
• Hand mopping – wiping down the floor using a cloth; this usually goes for bathroom and kitchen floors.
• Mop – a tool for or the action of wiping down a floor.
• Rinse – wash something in clean water or pour the water over it to remove detergent.
• Sanitize – unlike disinfection, sanitizing doesn’t kill microorganisms, but only removes them; EPA standard says that the level that’s safe for humans is removing 99.999% of microorganisms in 30 seconds.
• Sterilize – sterilization means using chemicals, plasma gas, or high heat to eliminate germs.
• Vacuum cleaner – a device that sucks up dirt and dust on the floor.
• Vacuuming – using a vacuum cleaner to remove dust and dirt from carpets or bare floors; you can also remove liquids with a special wet/dry vacuum.

Where in Ledyard, CT can I find reliable residential cleaning?

If it’s about the time you put your living room back in order or you finally dealt with your basement, or you’re just not sure how to properly take care of the little one’s room, Orchid Maids is the right team for you. 

We’re proud of our trained and insured staff who always go out of their way to meet the needs of our clients. Pay a visit to the beautiful Nathan Lester House while our technicians tackle your chores. Give us a call now!