Disinfection is the elimination of microorganisms

Disinfection is a process that destroys or inactivates microorganisms on inanimate surfaces and objects. Its aim is to interrupt the transmission of infection and minimise the risk of disease in environments with high hygiene demands – in healthcare, the food industry, households, animal husbandry, and public spaces.

Disinfection is never 100% effective against all forms of microorganisms (some bacterial spores can survive even extreme conditions), but it reduces their numbers to a safe level. It forms part of a comprehensive pest-protection approach known by the abbreviation DDD – deratisation, disinfection, and disinsection.

Methods of disinfection

Disinfection uses a disinfecting substance or preparation, technically referred to as a disinfectant. It must be distinguished from antibiotics, which destroy microorganisms inside the body, and from antiseptics, which act directly on living tissues (skin, mucous membranes, wounds).

Physical disinfection

It uses physical agents – heat, ultraviolet radiation, or filtration. It destroys microorganisms by damaging their cellular structures or proteins. The most common methods include heating to boiling point, disinfection in steam and washing devices, UV radiation from germicidal lamps, filtration, flaming, incineration, and exposure to sunlight.

Chemical disinfection

It is carried out using chemical substances in liquid or gaseous form – by washing, spraying, wiping, or immersion in a special foam or aerosol. These preparations kill or halt the growth of microorganisms and have cidal or static effects.

Physico-chemical disinfection

It combines physical and chemical methods. It is performed, for example, in washing machines with the addition of a chemical agent, in paraformaldehyde chambers, or using aldehyde- and chlorine-based preparations diluted with cold water.