Disinfectants vs Sanitizers: What is the difference??


We use the words Disinfectants (or Disinfection) & Sanitizers (or Sanitization) quite liberally. And in the post COVID-19 world, interchangeably too.

So, are disinfection and sanitization the same? Quite simply put, no.

To clearly understand the difference between the two it is important to first understand how they are defined.

Let’s look at the definition provided by the Centre for Disease Control & Protection (CDC), USA for cleaning, sanitizing & disinfection:

  • Cleaning removes germs, dirt, and other impurities from surfaces, but doesn’t necessarily kill them.
  • Sanitizing lowers the number of germs on surfaces or objects—either by killing or removing them—to a safe level
  • Disinfecting kills the germs on surfaces or objects.

The three activities form a spectrum with Cleaning at one end & Disinfecting at the other.

So, with respect to action on germs:

  • Cleaning – doesn’t necessarily kill anything
  • Sanitizing – doesn’t necessarily kill everything
  • Disinfecting – kills (almost) everything

If you really wish to explore this further, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) further defines

Sanitizers: Chemical products that kill at least 99.9% of bacteria on hard surfaces or objects

Disinfectants: stronger chemical products that kill at least 99.999% of multiple germ types – bacteria, viruses etc. – on hard surfaces or objects

So, the difference really lies in their strength. Sanitizers are not necessarily as strong as Disinfectants.

However, it does not mean one is better than the other. Both the activities have their distinct area of relevance.

Disinfectants are good for inanimate surfaces but are not for direct use on humans. Sanitizers are recommended for use on humans and around products in contact with food.

For e.g. to get rid of bacteria & viruses from hard surfaces, floors, walls, furniture using a disinfectant is better than a sanitizer.

For our hands, skin, dishes, utensils, etc. the sanitizer is the right choice.

At Germnix, we offer a range of disinfectant cleaners.

For best disinfecting results we recommend a two-step process

  • Cleaning of surface
  • Disinfection of surface

So, next time someone uses the terms Disinfectants vs Sanitizers incorrectly, you know exactly what to tell them.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Surface Disinfectant for Corona

Image
With so many different Surface Disinfectant for Corona products available in the market, how do you choose the one that works best? We decided to look for recommendations from an independent, respected, external agency. Our search ended at this page on the website of the Centre for Disease Control & Protection (CDC), USA As per the CDC, the properties of an ideal surface disinfectant are: Broad spectrum: should have a wide antimicrobial spectrum Fast acting: should produce a rapid kill Not affected by environmental factors: should be active in the presence of organic matter (e.g., blood, sputum, faeces) and compatible With soaps, detergents, and other chemicals encountered in use Non-toxic: should not be harmful to the user or patient Surface compatibility: should not corrode instruments and metallic surfaces and should not abuse the deterioration of cloth, rubber, plastics and other materials Residual effect on treated surfaces: should leave an antimicrobial film on the tre
Read more

Know your Germs

Image
  When we talk about Disinfectants, we usually talk about how disinfectants ‘kill germs’ in a generic manner. Almost like all germs are same, or at least, similar. Of course, thanks to the Novel Corona Virus epidemic, we now know a thing or two about viruses. Enveloped/non enveloped, capsid, lipids are words that are a part of our personal lexicons. The sub microscopic pathogen space is a crowded collection of millions of species that – much to the Microbiologists’ delight – all have differing characteristics & properties. All germs (or microbes/pathogens) have a differing response to the action of disinfectants. Some are more susceptible (easier to kill) than others. Susceptibility of pathogens to Disinfection Action Though the microbe universe is huge, the following table captures the susceptibility of the pathogen families – in descending order of their resistance to disinfectants & antiseptics. Table: Descending order of resistance to antiseptics and disinfectants
Read more