Sanitize vs Disinfect: Which One Is Best?

Imagine you've encountered a major mess—food spilled all over your kitchen. Now, it's time to choose the right product and cleaning method to ensure you're eliminating any potentially harmful germs. The debate begins: sanitize or disinfect?

Which method should you choose? And what's the distinction between the two? Don't worry—we'll explore both techniques today and clear up this age-old question before you encounter any harmful germs! (And by the way, no... the five-second rule doesn't cut it.)

Choosing the Right Cleaning Product: Sanitize vs Disinfect?

It may surprise you to know that although people often use the words interchangeably, there's actually a legal distinction. In the United States, sanitizers are substances that eliminate 99.999% of bacteria in 30 seconds as part of the Official Detergent Sanitizer Test (a public health examination). To grasp the logic behind this test, think of a bartender quickly washing glasses—he needs to kill as many germs as possible in a short period to be able to store them away fast.

Disinfectants, on the other hand, are products that eradicate all organisms (including harmful fungi and bacteria) in 10 minutes, according to the AOAC Use Dilution Test, which is regulated by the EPA to measure the effectiveness of disinfectants. In a hospital, it’s more critical to kill every germ, even if it takes longer, rather than killing most of them quickly.

Three Methods to Eliminate Germs

As the CDC is widely acknowledged as a leading authority on disease control and eradicating harmful bacteria, here's how they describe the differences:

Soap and Water

Cleaning removes visible dirt and germs from surfaces. Although this process doesn't kill germs, it helps lower their number and reduce the risk of infection by physically eliminating them.

Disinfectants

Disinfection uses chemicals to kill germs that are invisible to the naked eye, rather than just reducing their presence. While it might not clean a dirty surface, disinfecting helps lower the risk of infection. For example, you might disinfect areas where a baby’s diaper is changed. Hospitals disinfect areas exposed to blood or bodily fluids.

Hand Sanitizers

Sanitizing reduces the number of germs to a safe level based on public health guidelines. This can involve cleaning, disinfecting, or both. Typically, sanitizing occurs in kitchens and food-contact areas. For instance, you sanitize dishes and utensils after use, and also toys that children put in their mouths.

If your goal is to eliminate harmful bacteria and viruses—such as during flu season or a pandemic—disinfecting is the way to go instead of sanitizing. EPA-approved sanitizers only target bacteria, while EPA-approved disinfectants kill both bacteria and viruses.

On the following page, we will discuss how to disinfect and sanitize using bleach.

How to Properly Disinfect and Sanitize

To disinfect or sanitize at home, start by mixing bleach with cool water in a bucket (hot water can reduce its effectiveness). Always wear rubber gloves to protect your hands. Ensure you're using a bleach concentration suitable for household use—5.25 percent or 6 percent hypochlorite is safe for home applications, not industrial-grade concentrations.

For sanitizing, combine 1 tablespoon of bleach with 1 gallon of water (or 1 teaspoon with 1 quart). Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and apply it to the surface you wish to sanitize, or dip a paper towel into the solution and wipe the area. Allow the solution to sit for a minimum of one minute before rinsing. This mixture is effective for cleaning toys, utensils, and any items that may come into contact with mouths.

To disinfect, mix 1/3 cup of bleach with 1 gallon of water, or 4 teaspoons with 1 quart. Since this concentration is more potent, it should only be used to disinfect surfaces that won't come in contact with food or mouths, such as changing tables, potty chairs, hospital areas, and floors, as well as places exposed to bodily fluids.

For disinfecting, let the bleach solution sit on the surface for a longer duration. While official guidelines recommend a 10-minute exposure to fully kill bacteria, typically 2 to 3 minutes is sufficient. Keep in mind that bleach solutions lose their effectiveness after 24 hours.