What is the difference between sanitizing disinfecting and sterilizing

How do you choose when it comes to sterilization vs disinfection vs sanitization? What do these terms mean and why can we not use them interchangeably? Sanitizing agents come in various forms—liquids, sprays, powders or granules. They are perfect for spaces that encounter food or kids, such as the kitchen, dining area, office desk, and playroom. When it comes to disinfectants, you can use phenol, chlorine bleach, or hydrogen peroxide.

You need to be disinfecting in a home is typically in toilets, swimming pools, sinks, and diaper change areas. This is primarily done when there are elderly or where home healthcare is required.

Additionally, nail clippers, pedicure files and syringes must also be regularly sterilized. For sanitization use enzymatic detergents, water, and soap, through hand scrubbing or by using advanced machines. This is an essential step before disinfecting any surface because disinfectants do not stand up well against dirt. While you can sanitize and disinfect a place by yourself, sterilization requires professional help. For example, we can mop-up, vacuum or disinfect a toilet, but for biohazard cleaning, you must engage a professional.

If you are still unsure about the difference between sanitizing disinfecting and sterilizing, reach out to a cleaning service to get an assessment done first. Cleaning frequency will depend on how often you use a space and the external conditions. Account Login Contact Us. Canadian food safety laws and requirements can be complex and confusing. By Role. By Location. For Business. Learn more about Business Solutions. Why Food Safety? Small Business Solutions Contact Us.

Learn more about Food Safety. Guides Posters Templates Fact Sheets. Definitions of cleaning, sanitizing and sterilizing Cleaning Cleaning is designed to remove all visible dirt, soil, chemical residues and allergens from equipment, utensils and work surfaces.

Sanitizing Sanitizing is designed to reduce the number of microorganisms to a safe level. Sterilizing Sanitizing should not be confused with sterilizing. The importance of cleaning and sanitizing There are three main reasons why cleaning and sanitizing is important: Cleaning and sanitizing helps to prevent pest infestations. Cleaning and sanitizing helps your business stay compliant with food safety laws and regulations. Cleaning and sanitizing helps to protect customers and employees from health risks like food poisoning and allergic reactions.

This can lead to confusion about what each of these words actually means. While colloquially they all have similar connotations and meanings, in the world of cleaning, they actually have very important distinctions, and, in a situation like the COVID pandemic, each of these distinctions is incredibly important.

Cleaning refers to the process of removing germs, dirt, and other artifacts from surfaces or objects, and it typically works by using some form of soap or detergent combined with water to scrub and physically remove the different contaminants from the surface. It is important to understand that the process of cleaning does not necessarily kill the germs.

Instead, the process removes them from the surface area, thereby reducing the germ count and decreasing the overall chance of spread. While the process can be completed either through cleaning or disinfecting, it does not kill the high percentage of germs that a full disinfecting process does. It is important to note that many sanitizing agents only reduce the specific bacteria and other contaminants listed on the products label.

You should not expect the product to have a significant impact on germs and bacteria not listed. Additionally, sanitization is mostly ineffective against viruses, instead being a process best suited for the removal of harmful bacteria.

Disinfecting takes the process of sanitizing a surface area one step further. With disinfecting, you are actually killing the germs and other microbial contaminants on the surface through the use of a chemical agent, such as Clorox a common household cleaning brand most Americans are familiar with.