Procurement of Disinfectant & Cleaning Reagents: The Way Ahead

Significance of Cleaning and Disinfection: The objective of cleaning and disinfection is to achieve appropriate microbiological cleanliness levels for various operational needs. The microbes that are present on the skin or clothing of employees, or on any other critical surface are highly contagious in both active and inactive state. Decontamination is a process to eradicate these microbes and thus, holds high operational value for many industries like pharmaceuticals, healthcare, hospitality etc. Decontamination Procedures: Decontamination includes cleaning, disinfection and sterilization. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA: Cleaning is the removal of visible soil (e.g., organic and inorganic material) from objects and surfaces and normally is accomplished manually or mechanically using water with detergents or enzymatic products. Disinfection describes a process that eliminates many or all pathogenic microorganisms, except bacterial spores, on inanimate objects. Sterilization describes a process that destroys or eliminates all forms of microbial life, including bacterial spores and is carried out in health-care facilities by physical or chemical methods. Cleaning is the process prior to disinfection and sterilization.