b'STONE MAINTENANCEWhy you MUST clean before you disinfectCleaning alone can remove more than half of harmful germs By Grace Muoz, Marketing Coordinator USA, FILA Surface Care SolutionsSuddenlyandunexpectedly,but by killing germs on a surface hygienehasbecomeatoplifeafter cleaning, it can further lower priority. Clean spaces directly con- theriskofspreadinginfection. tributetopersonalhealth,evenTheCDCfurtherspecifiesthatif affecting our ability to work, go tosurfacesaredirtytheyshouldbe restaurants and gather with familycleaned using a detergent or soap and friends. and water before disinfecting. TheCentersforDiseaseControlWhy is cleaning surfaces before andPrevention(CDC)presentdisinfectingthemsoimpor-clearguidelinesforcleaningandtant?NicolaBrunello,Technical disinfectinghouseholdsurfaces.AssistanceandTrainingManager AccordingtotheCDC,cleaningatFilaSurfaceCareSolutions referstotheremovalofgerms,explained, Its useless to disinfect dirt and impurities from surfaces. Itbeforecleaningsurfacesbecause does not kill germs, but by remov- throughthecleaningprocesswe ingthem,itlowerstheirnumbersactually eliminate the habitat where and the risk of spreading infection.germsandbacteriagrow.Maria Disinfection, on the other hand,Soranzo,FilasHeadofResearch isdefinedasusingchemicalstoandDevelopment,furtherreport-killsgermsonsurfaces. Thispro- ed,Cleanerscanremoveupto cessdoesnotnecessarilyclean70% of germs and bacteria due to dirtysurfacesorremovegerms,the chemical synergistic action of Clean tile grout is fundamental for germ-free bath-rooms and kitch-ens. Microbes can become trapped in the grime, making disinfecting the tile much more difficult. 52TileLetter | June 2020'