When most people think about disinfecting, they don't consider how various surfaces respond to disinfection differently. One of the primary surfaces that are challenging to disinfect is soft, cushioned surfaces.

While it's easy to wash items like clothing and towels to remove dirt, it’s not that simple to actually disinfect them.

With that in mind, if you're curious to learn how to disinfect soft surfaces, take a look at the information below.

Soft Surface Disinfecting: Does it Work?

The first thing you need to understand is the distinction between cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting. It's easy to clean dirt from a surface. However, while germs are eliminated from your surfaces through cleaning, it does not destroy them.

Usually, before sanitizing or disinfecting, you can clean a surface to rid it of debris.

Secondly, sanitization decreases the number of bacteria on the surface to levels deemed healthy by public health organizations. Because it does more than cleaning, it’s the middle road since it doesn't hold up as well as disinfectants do. The positive side is that products that are sanitized tend to be safer than disinfectants.

Finally, on hard surfaces, disinfecting destroys infectious fungi, bacteria, and viruses. Hard surfaces is the key term. A soft or porous surface will never fully be disinfected.

If you notice the disinfectant claim on the back of the label, you’ll see that the directions say "for use on hard, non-porous surfaces". You may be wondering if disinfectant can be used on anything other than non-porous surfaces. Well, here are a few examples of non-porous, hard surfaces to help you understand:

• Porcelain
• Ceramics
• Acrylics and resins
• Stainless steel
• Most plastics
• Rubbers
• Laminate

Below is an example of soft, porous surfaces:

• Fabrics in clothing, furniture upholstery, or bedding
• Carpets
• Cushioned Seating

As you can see, there's a big contrast between the two surfaces. Soft surfaces are more complex because of the materials that they're made from.

Why Is Disinfecting Soft Surfaces Difficult?

Soft surfaces are difficult to clean because of its design. For example, take your favorite sweater. While the soft, porous fabric makes it comfortable to wear, it also makes it a nightmare to disinfect because pathogens can hide the many small holes and gaps in the material.

Compare this to a hard, non-porous surface like a stainless steel tabletop. There is nowhere for pathogens to run and hide on an object like that. However, that doesn't mean that your disinfectant will only work on hard, flat surfaces.

According to the EPA, no disinfectant can claim that soft surfaces are disinfected. If your disinfectant has this claim, you can expect that it will kill at least 99.9 percent of vegetative bacteria, such as Lepto and Bordetella.

While it may sound great to kill 99.9 percent of bacteria, this is not up to disinfectant standards. Disinfectants are usually also able to kill viruses and fungi.

But since you can't technically disinfect soft surfaces, you can still feel confident that they will eliminate many of the pathogens that cause illnesses.

How to Disinfect Soft Surfaces

Since you can't guarantee that your disinfectant destroys pathogens on soft surfaces, it is possible that the cleaning method alone can get rid of most pathogens. In order to keep them germ-free, frequent fabric washing and cleaning of soft surfaces goes a long way.

The good news is, soft, porous surfaces don't easily spread pathogens. So, although they are harder to clean, they are also less likely to transfer germs from one individual to the next.

Don't worry about illnesses when it comes to disinfecting objects like toys and blankets. You can kill many of the pathogens that make soft surfaces their home by using a product with a soft-surface sanitizing label. Also, incorporate daily cleaning.

Doing so is the best way to ensure that your soft items are germ-free.

Things to Know: Disinfecting Soft Surface Tips

When it comes to disinfection, everyone has their own comfort level. If you're worried about keeping your home and other public areas clean, You could add more chemical solutions to your fabrics by following proper cleaning instructions.

However, be sure to avoid saturating soft fabrics. Always wipe it with a damp cloth and then dry. This is the best method for disinfecting things like chairs and furniture.

Furthermore, antimicrobial treatments have become more common since they protect products from microorganisms and stop their development. But keep in mind that they don't work against viruses.

This means that you won't have any protection against the coronavirus and other harmful viruses. Therefore, antimicrobial treatments should not be used as the sole source of fabric cleaning. As a safety precaution, make sure that you practice personal protection while cleaning and breathing in harsh chemicals that may cause adverse health effects.

Thankfully, when it comes to soft surfaces and disinfecting in general, there are a few steps you can take to make sure your environment is fully disinfected. To understand how to disinfect soft surfaces and proper disinfection methods, read more here.

Disinfecting Soft Surfaces

Although disinfecting hard and soft surfaces requires different methods, it's still possible to make sure that soft objects and surfaces are sanitary. With the proper products and technique, you can guarantee that your cushioned, pillowy items and surfaces are safer for your health.

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