Understanding Sanitization: Definition, Importance & Best Practices

Sanitizing refers to a process of making something cleaner by reducing the number of microscopic organisms, which could pose a threat to humans. Public health laws and state and local regulations require sanitizing processes, such as requiring employees to wash their hands before returning to work.

Definition

• A sanitizing process refers to a series of steps that a worker or consumer follows to render a surface or object clean. For example, consumers use hand sanitizer to kill most of the germs on their hands.

Importance

• Sanitizing is an important aspect of public health. For example, in public bathrooms, daily cleaning ensures that human waste and associated germs are removed from sinks, counters, floors, mirrors, fixtures and toilets.

Government Oversight

• The sanitizing process for many types of equipment is regulated by federal, state or local laws. For example, food equipment requires thermal or chemical sanitizing, or reducing the number of microscopic organisms on all surfaces, to prevent food contamination.