Heather says:
It dawned on me last night -because even in my head the clock is off- that after nearly three years of posting I have never described the difference between: clean, organized, sanitary, and sterile. Well hang on because it isn’t that difficult.
A home can be organized and still be filthy. Organization is simply a matter of creating a place for all of your stuff. Sometimes that place is the landfill, recycling center, or thrift store.
A clean home can still be unsanitary. The act of cleaning only implies the removal of dirt.
Sanitary? That’s the killing or removal of microorganisms to an acceptably safe level. The legal version of this term depends on local health codes, here at Home-Ec101.com I stick with the USDA’s guidelines. It’s possible to have a disorganized but clean and sanitary home, it’s just a pain in the butt.
And sterile? Sterile implies a state where all microorganisms have been killed or removed. Sterile is for operating rooms.
Got it?
Send your domestic questions to helpme@home-ec101.com.
I will share this post with my dad. His house is always very organized but not sanitized yet he complains about my sanitized but disorganized home.
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