Final answer:
Disinfection aims to inactivate most microbes on surfaces using chemicals or heat, while sterilization is the complete elimination of all microorganisms. Sterilization uses more extreme methods such as high heat, pressure, or chemical sterilants. Sanitization reduces microbes to safe levels but is not as thorough as sterilization.
Step-by-step explanation:
The goal of disinfection is to inactivate most microbes on the surface of a fomite by using antimicrobial chemicals or heat. This process does not make an item sterile, as some microbes tend to remain. Sterile technique, on the other hand, aims for sterilization, which is the complete removal or killing of all vegetative cells, endospores, and viruses from the item or environment concerned. Sterilization requires stringent methods, such as high heat, pressure, or the use of chemicals known as sterilants. In contrast to disinfection, which simply reduces microbial load, sterilization ensures that an item is completely free of potentially infectious agents.
Disinfectants should ideally be fast-acting, stable, easy to prepare, and inexpensive; they can vary in effectiveness based on the concentration of the disinfectant and the duration of exposure. Conditions such as the presence of organic matter can reduce the effectiveness of disinfecting agents.
Sanitization, a term often confused with sterilization and disinfection, refers to the reduction of microbial presence to safe levels, as deemed by public health standards. For example, commercial dishwashers in the food service industry achieving sanitization by using very hot water and air, which kills most microbes but does not guarantee sterility.