Sanitizing vs. Cleaning: What’s Necessary in High-Touch Laundry Areas to Freshen Laundry

When it comes to laundry, most people think about detergent, softeners, and washing machines. But there’s another side of fresh laundry that often gets overlooked: the cleanliness of the laundromat environment itself. At Clean Right Laundromat, we know that keeping machines, folding stations, and high-touch areas safe is just as important as washing clothes properly.

That’s where cleaning and sanitizing come in. The two words are often used interchangeably, but they serve very different purposes — and both are critical in keeping laundry fresh, safe, and worry-free.

Cleaning vs. Sanitizing: What’s the Difference?

• Cleaning: Removes dirt, dust, spills, and visible messes from surfaces. It makes something look neat and tidy. For example, wiping down a washer top to get rid of detergent residue or sweeping lint off the floor.

• Sanitizing: Goes a step further by reducing germs and bacteria to safe levels. This requires using disinfectants or specialized systems designed to kill or neutralize microorganisms that can cause illness or odors.

Think of it this way:

• Cleaning = what you see.

• Sanitizing = what you don’t see.

Both are necessary in laundromats because a surface can look spotless but still harbor invisible germs.

Why Sanitizing Matters in Laundromats

High-touch areas in laundromats are shared by dozens (sometimes hundreds) of people every day. Even though laundry is meant to make clothes clean, the process of using public machines exposes customers to surfaces that can collect bacteria and viruses.

Some of the most commonly touched areas include:

• Washer and dryer doors and handles

• Folding tables

• Laundry carts and baskets

• Soap dispensers and change machines

• Payment kiosks and card readers

Without proper sanitization, these spots can quickly become germ hotspots. At Clean Right Laundromat, we treat these areas with the same care we’d want for our own families — cleaned and sanitized multiple times daily.

Our Approach at Clean Right Laundromat

At Clean Right, we’ve built sanitizing into our daily routines because we know it matters to our customers. Here’s how we keep your laundry experience safe:

• Routine Cleaning: Floors swept and mopped, lint traps cleaned, and machines wiped down to remove visible debris.

• Frequent Sanitizing: High-touch points like washer lids, cart handles, and folding tables are disinfected throughout the day with commercial-grade products.

• Advanced Sanowash Ozone System: Our ozone technology actually sanitizes inside the wash cycle, killing bacteria, eliminating odors, and leaving laundry fresher than detergent alone.

• Air Circulation & Freshness: We keep the air moving and the facility bright and ventilated so your laundry feels fresh from start to finish.

This layered approach ensures that your clothes are not only cleaned in the machine but also handled in a hygienic environment from start to finish.

What Customers Can Do to Stay Fresh & Safe

While we handle the heavy lifting of sanitizing, customers can also take simple steps to keep their laundry routine safe and fresh:

• Wipe down machine doors before use (sanitizing wipes are available at many laundromats, including ours).

• Keep laundry off the floor by using carts and folding tables.

• Wash your hands after handling dirty laundry or shared surfaces.

• Use our Wash & Fold service if you want maximum convenience with professional care and sanitizing built into every step.

These little habits help ensure your clothes come out looking great and feeling truly fresh.

Fresh Laundry Starts with a Fresh Space

At the end of the day, laundry care isn’t just about soap and water. It’s about the environment where the process happens. A laundromat that combines daily cleaning with regular sanitizing gives you peace of mind that your clothes are not only visibly clean but also hygienically fresh.

At Clean Right Laundromat, that’s our promise:

• Sparkling machines

• Sanitized spaces

• Ozone-powered washes

• Laundry that feels fresh, smells clean, and is truly cared for

Because when it comes to laundry, clean is good — but sanitized is better.

✅ Takeaway: Cleaning removes dirt you can see. Sanitizing removes germs you can’t. At Clean Right, we do both — so every load you wash with us comes out looking fresh, smelling fresh, and backed by sanitizing technology you can trust.