A method for cleaning and/or disinfecting an item (112) to be cleaned is proposed. The item (112) to be cleaned is exposed to at least one cleaning fluid (116), heat equivalents to which the item (112) to be cleaned is exposed being recorded. The heat equivalents are added up, the heat equivalents additionally being weighted with a compensation function during the summation of the heat equivalents. The compensation function is a function of the temperature at which the heat equivalents were recorded. The compensation function is adapted to provide heat equivalents recorded in at least one exceptional temperature range (410) with a lower weighting than heat equivalents recorded in other temperature ranges.
