Antiseptics and Disinfectants

In practice

Sort the terms in order. First, a disinfectant inactivates most microbes on a nonliving surface, such as a table, and should not be used on skin. Second, an antiseptic is used on living tissue, such as the patient's skin before an incision; povidone-iodine is one example. Third, degerming means reducing microbes on skin by scrubbing with a mild chemical, as in handwashing. Fourth, a product ending in cidal kills microbes, such as a bactericide; one ending in static only stops them growing. Fifth, how well any chemical works depends on contact time, the number of microbes present, the kind of microbe, and whether soil is in the way.