Cleaning vs Disinfecting vs Sanitizing – What’s the Difference?

It’s easy to confuse the terms cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting — especially when so many products claim to do it all. But if you want to keep your family safe from germs, knowing the difference matters. In this guide, we’ll break down what each term means, how to use each product in your home, and why the active ingredients in your disinfectant are just as important as how well it works. We’ll also explain why Force of Nature is a powerful all-in-1 cleaner and EPA-registered disinfectant that’s gentle enough to use around kids, pets, and anyone with asthma or allergies.

What’s the difference between cleaning, sanitizing & disinfecting?

• Cleaning means removing dirt, grime, and debris from surfaces. It doesn’t kill germs, but reduces them.
• Sanitizing means reducing the number of germs on a surface to a level determined safe by public health standards. It doesn’t have to meet a standard reduction level like disinfectants do.
• Disinfecting means killing 99.9% of specific bacteria and viruses listed on a product’s label when used as directed. Disinfectants are regulated by the EPA to meet strict germ-kill efficacy standards.

Force of Nature does all three — it’s an all-in-1 cleaner, deodorizer, and EPA-registered disinfectant that kills 99.9% of germs, including Norovirus, MRSA, E. Coli, Listeria, Staph, Salmonella, Pseudomonas and Influenza A. Even better? It contains none of the harmful ingredients found in conventional disinfectants.

What’s the best disinfectant — and the best non-toxic disinfectant?

Short answer: The best disinfectant is an EPA-registered disinfectant that’s proven to kill the germs you’re worried about and that you’ll actually use correctly (especially the full contact time). Force of Nature is EPA-registered to kill 99.9% of viruses and bacteria on hard, non-porous surfaces in 2 minutes.

If you’re looking for the best non-toxic disinfectant: choose an EPA-registered disinfectant without harsh fumes or residues, so it’s safe to use regularly in your home—especially around kids, pets, high-touch surfaces, and food-contact surfaces.

Why the active ingredient matters

The safety of the active ingredient in your disinfectant matters — especially if you’re using it around babies, kids, pets, or people with asthma or allergies. The most common active ingredients in disinfectant products are:

• Quaternary ammonium compounds (“quats”): Found in many wipes and sprays, quats have been linked to asthma, skin and eye irritation, reproductive toxicity, and hormone disruption. Be sure to use a mask and gloves when using quat-based products, and avoid using them around children or people with asthma or allergies.
• Bleach (sodium hypochlorite): A strong irritant that can trigger asthma and allergies, even in people who haven’t had them before. Like with quats, read the label and use a mask and gloves if the label instructions say to.

These ingredients can pose serious health risks. That’s why they come with warnings to wear gloves and masks. A safer alternative? Force of Nature uses hypochlorous acid as its active antimicrobial ingredient — a powerful germ-killer your own immune system makes — with no toxic fumes or residues.

What makes a disinfectant “official”?

To be legally labeled a disinfectant, a product must be registered with the EPA and meet rigorous testing requirements. Here’s what that means:

• EPA Registration: Disinfectants must prove they kill 99.9% of the bacteria and viruses they claim to within a specified “dwell time.”
• Grades of disinfectants:
  • Limited: Kills only either gram-positive or gram-negative bacteria
  • Broad Spectrum: Kills both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria
  • Hospital-grade: Kills both types of bacteria plus Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a harder-to-kill pathogen

Note: pre-cleaning matters! For disinfectants to work, they must come into full contact with the surface — so clean off any dirt or residue before you sanitize or disinfect.

Force of Nature is an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant that kills 99.9% of germs. You can make it on your kitchen countertop in the Force of Nature appliance with tap water, plus a capsule of salt, water & vinegar.

One formula that does it all — safely

Force of Nature isn’t just for disinfecting. It replaces your kitchen, bathroom, glass, floor cleaners, and more. It’s safe for baby gear, pet bowls, and food-contact surfaces — no rinsing required.

You can use it to clean and disinfect nearly every surface. It’s affordable, non-toxic, and certified by the Mayo Clinic’s SkinSAFE system, National Eczema Association, Clean Label Project, and Green Seal.

Still wondering how it compares to what’s in your cabinet? See our test results vs. leading brands here.