Disinfectants

A disinfectant is a chemical substance or compound used to inactivate or destroy microorganisms on inert surfaces. Disinfection does not necessarily kill all microorganisms, especially resistant bacterial spores; it is less effective than sterilization, which is an extreme physical or chemical process that kills all kinds of life. Disinfectants are usually different from other antimicrobial agents, such as antibiotics, which destroy microorganisms in the body, and antiseptics, which destroy microorganisms on living tissues. Disinfectants are also different from biocides – the latter are designed to destroy all forms of life, not just microorganisms.