What is an example of disinfection?

Author: Dr. Maurice Hamill  |  Last update: Thursday, October 2, 2025

Disinfecting uses chemicals (disinfectants) to kill germs on surfaces and objects. Some common disinfectants are bleach and alcohol solutions. You usually need to leave the disinfectant on the surfaces and objects for a certain period of time to kill the germs.

What is an example of disinfecting solution?

Some examples of solutions are salt water, rubbing alcohol, and sugar dissolved in water. When you look closely, upon mixing salt with water, you can't see the salt particles anymore, making this a homogeneous mixture. Let's make use of our salt water example to talk about the two main parts of a solution.

Which of the following examples of disinfection?

Final answer: The correct answer highlighting an example of disinfection is cleaning a shower chair with a chemical cleaner. Disinfection involves using chemicals to kill pathogens, differentiating it from basic cleaning processes.

What is considered disinfection?

Disinfecting kills viruses and bacteria on surfaces using chemicals. Yes, EPA registers products that disinfect. To find disinfectants for use against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19), see List N. Using hand sanitizer. Using hand sanitizer kills pathogens on skin.

What is the method of disinfection with example?

A typical technique for disinfection is heat. High temperatures can destroy bacteria by causing protein denature and cellular structural disruption. For instance, steam autoclaves sterilise items by using pressurised steam at high temperatures to destroy all varieties of bacteria, including spores.

Definition | Sterilization | Disinfection | Sanitization | Antisepsis |

What are the examples of disinfection?

Methods of Disinfection
  • Alcohol.
  • Chlorine and chlorine compounds.
  • Formaldehyde.
  • Glutaraldehyde.
  • Hydrogen peroxide.
  • Iodophors.
  • Ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA)
  • Peracetic acid.

Is an example of a disinfectant?

What is an example of a disinfectant? Chlorine, calcium and sodium hypochlorite, iodophor, phenol, ethanol, and quaternary ammonium compounds are some of the most often used chemical disinfectants. Disinfectants differ from sterilants in that they have a lower efficacy against dormant bacterial endospores.

What is a disinfection?

Sanitizing reduces the remaining germs on surfaces after cleaning. Disinfecting can kill viruses and bacteria that remain on surfaces after cleaning. By killing germs on a surface after cleaning, disinfecting can further lower the risk of spreading germs that can cause illness.

What is an example of a disinfection by product?

The World Health Organization has established guidelines for several DBPs, including bromate, bromodichloromethane, chlorate, chlorite, chloroacetic acid, chloroform, cyanogen chloride, dibromoacetonitrile, dibromochloromethane, dichloroacetic acid, dichloroacetonitrile, NDMA, and trichloroacetic acid.

What is basic disinfection?

Basic Disinfection is an on-demand virtual training introducing the essential elements of disinfection for laboratory and research environments. Basic Disinfection is comprised of four modules: Chemical Disinfection, Physical Disinfection, Hand Hygiene, and Volume Disinfection.

Which is the most commonly used for disinfection?

Chlorine is the universal disinfectant, active against all microorganisms. It is generally served in the form of sodium hypochlorite, with different concentrations of free chlorine. As a general disinfectant for all types of laboratory work, a concentration of 1 g/l (1000 ppm) of free chlorine is used.

What is an example of sterilization?

Other Sterilization Methods
  • Ionizing Radiation. ...
  • Dry-Heat Sterilizers. ...
  • Liquid Chemicals. ...
  • Performic Acid. ...
  • Filtration. ...
  • Microwave. ...
  • Glass Bead "Sterilizer" ...
  • Vaporized Hydrogen Peroxide (VHP®)

What are examples of natural disinfection?

The best natural disinfectants include alcohol, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, hot water, and some essential oils. Evidence suggests that in some cases, many of these natural disinfectants can be as effective at killing germs as chemical cleaners like bleach.

Which of the following are examples of disinfection?

Final answer: Examples of disinfection include using heat or chemical agents like bleach and iodine on eating utensils, lab tables, wounds, and thermometers to reduce microbial presence without achieving complete sterilization.

What disinfectant is used in daily life?

Disinfecting uses chemicals (disinfectants) to kill germs on surfaces and objects. Some common disinfectants are bleach and alcohol solutions. You usually need to leave the disinfectant on the surfaces and objects for a certain period of time to kill the germs.

What is the first step in the disinfection process?

Cleaning removes debris and organic contamination from surfaces. Cleaning is the necessary first step of any disinfection process. If a surface is not cleaned first, the disinfection process can be compromised. Disinfection eliminates many or all disease-causing microorganisms on an object.

Which of the following is a disinfection?

Chlorine is a highly effective method of disinfection and is to be added to water in a controlled way. At present Ozone is also being used as a disinfectant for the purification of water.

Is washing a method of disinfection?

Levels of decontamination: standards

Scrupulous cleaning with warm water and detergent removes large numbers of micro-organisms and the organic material on which they thrive. Detergent is necessary for effective cleaning. It breaks up grease and dirt and improves the ability of water to remove soiling.

What are 3 disinfectants?

Chemical Disinfectants
  • Alcohol. Overview. ...
  • Chlorine and Chlorine Compounds. Overview. ...
  • Formaldehyde. Overview. ...
  • Glutaraldehyde. Overview. ...
  • Hydrogen Peroxide. Overview. ...
  • Iodophors. Overview. ...
  • Ortho-phthalaldehyde (OPA) Overview. ...
  • Peracetic Acid. Overview.

What are the 3 methods of disinfection?

There are multiple types of disinfectants, including but not limited to air disinfectants, alcohols, and oxidizing agents.

Is vinegar a disinfectant?

Acetic acid (vinegar) is an effective mycobactericidal disinfectant that should also be active against most other bacteria. These findings are consistent with and extend the results of studies performed in the early and mid-20th century on the disinfectant capacity of organic acids.

What is an example of a disinfection byproduct?

Scientists have identified hundreds of DBPs. Several types of DBPs have limits set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA): trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs), chlorite, and bromate.

Is soap a disinfectant?

People typically think of soap as gentle and soothing, but from the perspective of microorganisms, it is often extremely destructive. A drop of ordinary soap diluted in water is sufficient to rupture and kill many types of bacteria and viruses, including the new coronavirus that is currently circling the globe.

What is an example of cleaning and sanitizing?

Routine cleaning with detergent or soap and water removes dirt and grime from surfaces (ex: floors, walls, carpet, windows). Sanitizing removes dirt and small amounts of germs. Some items and surfaces are cleaned to remove dirt then sanitized (ex: bathrooms, counters, toys, dishes, silverware).

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