As soon as coronavirus entered our lives, we started using words sanitizer and disinfectant frequently. With the onset of COVID19, it is being recommended to wash hands with soap or alcohol-based sanitizer and cleaning the household items with a disinfectant to reduce the virus infection. Sometimes, the words sanitizer and disinfectant are used interchangeably but there is a slight difference between them.

Let us know the difference:

The main difference between sanitizer and disinfectant depends on their effect on germs. The process of sanitizing reduces only the amount of bacteria, viruses, and other microbes on a surface, whereas disinfectants kill almost all of them.

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Now the question arises what is the composition of Sanitizer and disinfectant that makes them different.

Disinfectants decontaminate a surface or object because it includes chemicals like hydrogen peroxide that produce destructive free radicals in turn that attack cell components of the virus and Bacteria.  They usually take 10-15 minutes in killing the germs. Whereas chlorine and ammonium compound based sanitizers simply reduce the number of germs on a surface. Sanitizers help in reducing the total number of germs require for spreading the risk of infection. Sanitizers can work almost immediately.

Sanitizers are used on any surface that might contact food whereas Disinfectants are applied to floors, walls, toilets, bed frames, sinks, showers, bathtubs, chairs, ceilings, doorknobs etc. The sanitizers used in the food industry are different as compared to hand sanitizers.

Why hand sanitizers are recommended during COVID 19 pandemic?

Hand sanitizers include alcohol which is a surface disinfectant. Thus, hand sanitizer is a kind of disinfectant effective against SARS-CoV-2. But if your hands are dirty with food particles on them, try to wash your hands with soap and water because soap and water kill SARS-CoV-2 by dissolving the virus’s protective outer membrane.

Thus, by knowing the difference between sanitizers and disinfectants, keep yourself and your loved ones free from germs and stay safe. The cure of coronavirus has not been found so it is your prime responsibility to be safe and follow the practice precaution is better than cure.