Which item is NOT a step in the cleaning and sanitizing sequence?

• A. Deactivate
• B. Decontaminate
• C. Sterilize
• D. Disinfect

Answer: (C)

In cleaning and sanitizing sequences, the aim is to reduce risk step by step: first address the hazardous residue so you’re not spreading exposure, then remove any remaining contamination, and finally lower the microbial load. Deactivate or decontaminate the surface to neutralize and remove hazardous drug residues, then disinfect to kill remaining microorganisms to safe levels. Sterilize, by contrast, is a more extreme process that eradicates all forms of life, including spores, and is reserved for items that must be completely sterile for use in sterile procedures or contact with sterile tissues. Routine environmental cleaning and sanitizing do not include sterilization, so sterilize does not fit the standard sequence.