Home Sanitization in Vancouver

Cleaning vs. sanitising vs. disinfecting

Cleaning physically removes soil and, with it, most of what is living in that soil. Sanitising reduces bacteria on a already-clean surface to a level considered safe. Disinfecting is a stronger claim about killing specified organisms, and it is the one that depends entirely on following the label.

The order is not optional: you cannot disinfect a dirty surface. Organic soil neutralises disinfectants on contact, so spraying a greasy worktop achieves very little regardless of the product. Clean first, then treat. Anyone selling you a disinfection service that skips the cleaning step is selling you a spray.

Dwell time and why it matters

Every disinfectant has a contact time on its label — the period the surface must stay visibly wet for the claim to hold. It is commonly several minutes. Spraying and wiping immediately, which is what almost everyone does, does not meet it.

So we spray and leave, then return to the surface after its dwell time. On a warm day or a draughty surface that may mean reapplying to keep it wet. It is slower and less satisfying to watch, and it is the entire difference between disinfecting a surface and dampening it.

High-touch point mapping

We work from a list rather than from a general wipe-round, because touchpoints are small, unglamorous and easy to skip: door handles both sides, light switches, stair rails, tap handles, toilet flush, fridge and cupboard handles, kettle handle, remote controls, and the phones and tablets everyone touches constantly.

The two most-missed in most homes are the front door handle on the inside and the toilet flush lever, and both are exactly where you would expect transmission. Mapping them once means the same list is worked every visit rather than depending on who is doing it and how much time is left.

Product safety around pets and children

Tell us about pets before we start, particularly cats and birds. Cats are sensitive to certain disinfectant families and birds are extremely sensitive to airborne chemicals generally — for birds, the right approach is usually to move them out of the area entirely and ventilate well.

For homes with young children we favour products that need no rinse and leave no residue on surfaces that hands and mouths reach. Nothing goes on a food-contact surface, a toy or a cot without being appropriate for it, and we will use a milder approach and more mechanical cleaning rather than a stronger chemical where there is any doubt.

What this costs

$290 standard · deep clean $580–$1,100

Standard clean is a three-hour visit for a typical two-bedroom. Deep and move-out cleans are quoted on size and condition, and we bring everything.

Materials are always separate from labour and passed on at cost. Quotes are free and written, and the full rate card is published rather than given out on request.