The Circle of Sinner

The "Circle of Sinner"

The basis behind every cleaning challenge

Sinner's Circle is an important principle used to understand and improve cleaning processes. The circle consists of four elements that collectively influence cleaning results. These four elements are:

Mechanical action: This refers to the physical force or movement applied to remove dirt. Consider, for example, scrubbing, brushing or stirring a solution. The degree of mechanical action is important because it helps to loosen dirt from surfaces.
Chemistry: This deals with cleaning agents and their composition. The right chemicals (such as soap, detergents, or solvents) are needed to dissolve or loosen dirt, grease and other unwanted substances.
Temperature: The temperature of the water or detergent can make a big difference. Higher temperatures can help dissolve fats and oils and increase the activity of detergents.
Time: This element refers to the time spent cleaning. The longer a cleaner has time to act, the more effective it often is.

If you remove one element then the others fill it up

The circle must always be closed

It is important to find the right balance between these four elements so that each cleaning process can be carried out as efficiently and thoroughly as possible. If you reduce one of the four factors, or it is not present, the other elements have to contribute more to achieve the same result. For example, if less time is available, you will have to increase the other factors (temperature, chemistry, mechanical force) to get the same effect.

You can probably imagine that if you clean a greasy surface with cold water and a cloth, you would be done faster if you used a sponge, detergent and warm water. Sinner's Circle helps design an effective cleaning process by balancing these four elements depending on the situation and the resources available.

Applying Sinner's Circle

Washing your hands

Let's apply Sinner's Circle to washing your hands. Herein, the four elements play a role in effectively removing dirt and germs.

1

Mechanical operation

In hand washing, mechanical action represents rubbing your hands together. Rubbing your hands loosens dirt, bacteria and other micro-organisms from the skin. Scrubbing the hands, including the fingertips and between the fingers, ensures that all surfaces are properly cleaned.

2

Chemistry

This involves the use of soap. Soap helps to emulsify fats and oils trapped on the skin, making it easier to wash away dirt and germs. Without soap, these fats would be harder to remove because water alone is unable to dissolve fats.

3

Temperature

The temperature of the water also plays a role. Lukewarm water is often recommended because it is comfortable and promotes the use of soap. Although hot water is sometimes considered better, too hot water is not necessarily more effective and can irritate the skin.

4

Time

The time you spend washing hands is crucial. It is recommended to scrub for at least 20 seconds to give the soap enough time to act and loosen dirt and micro-organisms from the skin.

Example:

Adaptation of Sinner's Circle

Suppose you are in a hurry and you cannot spend the full time washing your hands (time is reduced). To compensate for this, you would, for example:

To be able to apply more mechanical action through more intensive rubbing.
Able to use more soap (chemistry) to increase effectiveness.
Increase the temperature of the water slightly (but not too hot) to make the fats dissolve faster.

In this way, Sinner's Circle ensures that you can always find a balance to wash your hands effectively, even if one of the factors needs to be reduced.

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