The Difference Between Antibacterial and Sanitizing Products
Most people find the terminology that gets used in the field of antimicrobial products confusing, and for a good reason!
These products can be labeled as antibacterial, sanitizers, cleansers, or disinfectants, which makes each one unique when it comes to its mechanism of action and the targeted use.
In this article, we will briefly define some terms to clear out the confusion surrounding this topic.
What is an antibacterial product?
An antimicrobial product refers to a chemical substance that has the ability to neutralize the threat of bacteria by disintegrating their outer membranes.
In other words, this product will eradicate some or all bacteria on the hands, surfaces, laundry, or hard (non-porous) objects.
This term is generically used in many products, but you cannot tell which surfaces are most susceptible to the action of the specific product you purchased until you classify it in another category (e.g., sanitizer, disinfectant).
What is a disinfecting product?
According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a disinfectant is a product that destroys or inactivates both the bacteria and viruses identified on the product’s label on hard, nonporous surfaces.
These products contain powerful chemicals, which is why they’re not for human use.
What is a sanitizing product?
Sanitizers are products that reduce bacteria identified on the product’s label on laundry, surfaces, and the skin.
For instance, when you use our collection of wipes, you’ll be sanitizing your hands, and not disinfecting them.
The chemicals in these products are generally tolerated by the skin, making them the go-to ingredients when designing an antimicrobial (e.g., antibacterial) sanitizer for human use.
Takeaway message
The use of cleaning products skyrocketed over the past few months due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which confused people about the exact action of each product and the meaning of the labels.
Hopefully, this article managed to answer these questions in a simple way, but if you have anything that you want to add, please don’t hesitate to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
