Disinfection

Disinfection reduces or eliminates disease-causing microorganisms on objects and surfaces, usually without destroying bacterial spores. It is less comprehensive than sterilization.

Antiseptic: A substance applied to living tissue to inhibit or kill microorganisms. Unlike disinfection, antisepsis is intended for skin or other living tissue.
Sterilization: A validated process that destroys or removes all forms of microbial life, including bacterial spores. It sets the higher standard that ordinary disinfection does not meet.
Healthcare-associated infection: An infection acquired during care in a healthcare setting that was not present or incubating at admission. Disinfecting shared surfaces and equipment helps interrupt transmission in healthcare environments.
Pasteurization: A controlled heat treatment that reduces harmful microorganisms in food or beverages without sterilizing them. It is a specific food-preservation treatment, not the general surface process meant by disinfection.
Alcohols as disinfectants: Ethanol and isopropanol are antimicrobial agents used on surfaces and some medical equipment. They disrupt membranes and denature proteins, but do not reliably destroy bacterial spores.
Cleaning: The removal of soil and contaminants from objects or surfaces, usually using water and detergents. Cleaning removes material that can shield microorganisms and interfere with disinfectants.
Spaulding classification: A system that classifies medical devices by infection risk to guide cleaning, disinfection, or sterilization. It links the required level of reprocessing to how a device contacts the body.
Fumigation: The use of gas or vapor to control pests or microorganisms within an enclosed space. Fumigation can treat spaces and materials that ordinary surface disinfection may not reach.
Sodium hypochlorite: An chlorine-containing compound used in bleach and many surface-disinfection solutions. Its oxidizing action makes it a widely used disinfectant for hard surfaces.
Sanitization: A process that reduces microorganisms on surfaces to levels considered acceptable by public-health standards. Sanitization targets an acceptable reduction, while disinfection generally aims to inactivate specified pathogens.

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