Since it removes allergens and microorganisms, cleaning is beneficial in maintaining a healthy indoor environment. However, cleaning alone doesn't reduce the risk of bacterial cross-contamination like sanitizing does. This factor explains why a mopping solution without germicide can spread disease throughout your home. But, products like sanitizing detergent kill 99.9 % of the number of bacteria present in a cleaning area. So, sanitizing is better than cleaning because it reduces the pathogen level on living area surfaces according to FDA and EPA standards.