Cleaning method with improved long-term hygiene effect

A cleaning device for cleaning and/or disinfecting an item to be cleaned, the cleaning device comprising at least one controller for controlling a cleaning process and a temperature sensor for monitoring a temperature inside a cleaning chamber, wherein the cleaning device is configured to perform a method comprising:

• exposing the item to be cleaned to at least one cleaning fluid;
• recording heat equivalents to which the item to be cleaned is exposed;
• summing the heat equivalents;
• weighting the heat equivalents with a compensation function during the summation of the heat equivalents, the compensation function being a function of the temperature inside the cleaning chamber at which the heat equivalents were recorded;
• and
• adapting the compensation function to provide heat equivalents recorded in at least one exceptional temperature range with a lower weighting than heat equivalents recorded in other temperature ranges, the compensation function being selected while taking into account at least one information item concerning at least one target germ, with which the item to be cleaned could be contaminated,
• wherein the compensation function is adapted so that the exceptional temperature range extends between a minimum temperature of a standard used for recording the heat equivalents and at least one predetermined regrowth temperature, the regrowth-temperature being higher than the minimum temperature,
• wherein the regrowth temperature is selected so that the delayed regrowth of killed, partially killed, at least temporarily inactivated test germs, or at least one predetermined target germ takes place at least in reduced fashion, and
• wherein said recording heat equivalents is based on a temperature of the at least one cleaning fluid or a temperature directly on the item to be cleaned or that of steam in an interior of the cleaning chamber.

A computer program having program code for carrying out a method comprising:

• exposing the item to be cleaned to at least one cleaning fluid;
• recording heat equivalents to which the item to be cleaned is exposed;
• summing the heat equivalents;
• weighting the heat equivalents with a compensation function during the summation of the heat equivalents, the compensation function being a function of the temperature at which the heat equivalents were recorded;
• and
• adapting the compensation function to provide heat equivalents recorded in at least one exceptional temperature range with a lower weighting than heat equivalents recorded in other temperature ranges when the program is run on a computer, the compensation function being selected while taking into account at least one information item concerning at least one target germ, with which the item to be cleaned could be contaminated,
• wherein the compensation function is adapted so that the exceptional temperature range extends between a minimum temperature of a standard used for recording the heat equivalents and at least one predetermined regrowth temperature, the regrowth-temperature being higher than the minimum temperature,
• wherein the regrowth temperature is selected so that the delayed regrowth of killed, partially killed, at least temporarily inactivated test germs, or at least one predetermined target germ takes place at least in reduced fashion, and
• wherein said recording heat equivalents is based on a temperature of the at least one cleaning fluid or a temperature directly on the item to be cleaned or that of steam in an interior of a cleaning chamber.