Answer :
Final answer:
The first step in cleaning and sanitizing a surface is disinfection, which inactivates most microbes using chemicals or heat. Sterilizing everything is impractical and can be harmful; disinfection ensures a level of cleanliness that is safe for public health.
Explanation:
First Step in Cleaning and Sanitizing a Surface
The first step in cleaning and sanitizing a surface is disinfection. Disinfection involves using antimicrobial chemicals or heat to inactivate most microbes on the surface of a fomite. This is because, as detailed in the referenced text, sterilizing every item we come into contact with is impractical and can be harmful to the item or toxic to users. Surfaces in clinical settings, such as hospital rooms, are commonly sanitized using a chemical disinfectant to ensure they are clean enough for public health standards without undergoing complete sterilization, which is not always necessary and may leave endospores behind.
When working with bacterial cultures in a lab setting, it is important to disinfect the work area both before and after handling the cultures, as well as in the case of an accidental spill. Disinfection is a crucial step that precedes the sterilization process, should that be required based on the item's intended application.
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