Final answer:
Cleaning must precede any disinfection or sterilization to remove physical debris and allow the subsequent process to be more effective. Sterilization is the total elimination of all microbial life, while disinfection and sanitization reduce but do not eliminate all microbes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cleaning must precede any disinfection or sterilization process. Sterilizing everything we come in contact with is not feasible due to the resource-intensive nature of sterilization techniques, which may degrade the quality of items or be harmful to users. In medical and laboratory settings, however, it might be essential to achieve sterilization—the complete elimination of all microbial life, including endospores and viruses, from an item or environment. This can be done through physical methods like high heat and pressure or chemical means using sterilants. On the other hand, disinfection involves inactivating most microbes on a surface using antimicrobials or heat, but not to the extent of sterilization, as some hardy organisms like endospores can survive. Sanitization reduces microbial load to safe levels for public health, such as in food service or clinical surfaces but does not sterilize. Understanding the difference between these processes is critical for appropriate application in various settings, thus ensuring items are 'clean enough' without the unnecessary use of more extreme measures.