Final answer:
A disinfectant is suitable for use on items such as tools and styling implements, while antiseptics are designed for safe application on human skin to eliminate microbes without causing tissue damage.
Step-by-step explanation:
An acceptable use of a disinfectant is for tools and styling implements rather than human skin. Disinfectants, such as chlorine bleach or iodophors like povidone-iodine, are formulated to inactivate most microbes on inanimate objects, known as fomites, but are generally too harsh for living tissues.
For sanitizing living skin, antiseptics, which are safe and effective against microorganisms without causing tissue damage, should be used instead. These include substances like hydrogen peroxide and isopropyl alcohol which can be applied through a process called antisepsis.
By comparison, the characteristics of a good disinfectant also comprise being fast acting, stable, easy to prepare, cost-effective, and user-friendly. However, they do not achieve sterilization, since certain resilient organisms, like bacterial endospores, are not eliminated through standard disinfection practices.