Cleaning vs. Sanitizing vs. Disinfecting

Cleaning is used to remove food and other types of soil from a surface such as a countertop or plate. There may be soil left on the surface, but the surface may have an acceptable level of hygiene for certain uses. Sanitizing is used when there is a higher level of concern on the surface. If there were 1,000 bacteria on the surface prior to sanitizing, there would only be a few after sanitizing. When disinfecting a surface, you can use a disinfectant to clean, but must apply it twice, first to clean and then to disinfect.