We know it can be confusing. You often hear sanitize, clean, disinfect, sterilize and hygiene, used interchangeably, but they are different.
So, what is the difference between these terms? Here is the 411.
“Sanitize”, “clean” and “hygiene” all refer to the broad category that means you have done something to remove visible debris. Examples of this would be wiping down a counter, holding something under running water, using soap and water on an item or using a cleaning solution like our Ship-Shape®.
Disinfecting is the killing of most microbial life that can lead to infection in humans—such as Influenza, Staphylococcus, HIV/AIDS, Herpes, Salmonella and Hepatitis. This step is done following cleaning and requires the use of a disinfectant such as Barbicide®, Barbicide® Plus or Barbicide® Wipes.
Sterilization is the killing of all microbial life and requires an autoclave or cold sterilizer. This method is mainly used in healthcare and requires cleaning and disinfecting as steps prior to sterilization.
Whew..lots of info, but now you know!
The Barbicide be blue Team