- The main objective of a cleaning programme is to control microbial activity.
Disinfection :
- Disinfection are the anti microbial agent (Chemical or Physical agent) that are used on the inanimate (non-living) objects to kill the microbes.
- We can’t apply disinfectant on the living tissues.
- Disinfectant a surface will kill the microscopic organisms as claimed on the label of particular product.
- Disinfectant don't kill bacterial spores.
Example :
- If we start with 1 million organisms on a surface then a disinfectant must kill 100 percent of them, zero left.
- A sanitizer only reduces the number of organisms down to 1000 and does nothing about virus and fungus.
Sanitizers :
- Sanitizers are the antimicrobial agents.
- That are used on surface or living tissues.
- Reduce the microbial population to a certain level.
- Which is safe for humans.
- Reduce the disease causing organisms.
- Sanitizing should only be applied to food contact surfaces.
- Sanitizing is meant to reduce, not kill the occurrence and growth of bacteria, viruses and fungi.
- Basically sanitizers are used in the food industries to reduce the microbial population without affecting the quality of the manufactured products.
Antiseptic:
- Antiseptic are antimicrobial substances which are used to kill or reduce the microbial contamination on living tissues including skin, oral cavities and open wounds.
- These are used on living tissues to reduce the of possibility of infection.
Decontamination:
- The removal of microorganisms by disinfection or sterilization.
Sporicidal agent:
- An agent that destroy bacterial and fungal spores based on concentration and contact time.
Cleaning agent:
- An agent for the removal from facility and equipment
surfaces of product residues that may
inactive sanitizing agents or harbor microorganisms.
Sterilant:
- An agent that destroys all forms of microbial life including fungi, viruses and all forms of bacteria and their spores.
- Sterilant are liquid or vapor-phase agent.
