Sanitization and Disinfection

Disinfectants are products that destroy all organisms in 10 minutes during the AOAC Use Dilution Test, a test regulated by the EPA to determine the efficiency of disinfectants. Disinfecting requires a stronger solution to destroy germs rather than simply reduce them.

Sanitizing is a chemical process that lessens and even kills germs on surfaces to make them safe for contact. Sanitizers are agents that destroy 99.999 percent of bacteria in 30 seconds during the Official Detergent Sanitizer Test (a public health test).

While different, both methods are a step up from regular cleaning because cleaning only removes visible dirt. When you sanitize or disinfect, you are removing potentially harmful bacteria that might not be visible to the naked eye.