sanificare

Sanificare is an Italian verb meaning to render something sanitary by removing or reducing microorganisms and other contaminants to lower the risk of infection. In everyday use, the term covers cleaning, disinfection and, in certain contexts, sterilization. The noun sanificazione refers to the process of sanitizing; a sanitificante or sanitizing product is something that serves to sanitize. The concept is central to hygiene in homes, workplaces and public spaces.

From Latin sanificare, formed from sanus "healthy" and -ficare "to make," the verb is regular -are. Present tense forms: io sanifico, tu sanifichi, lui/lei sanifica, noi sanifichiamo, voi sanificate, loro sanificano.

Usage spans households, healthcare, food service, and environmental hygiene. Sanificazione typically combines cleaning to remove dirt with disinfection to inactivate pathogens. Protocols may employ chemical disinfectants such as alcohols, chlorine compounds, or quaternary ammonium agents, or physical methods like heat or UV irradiation. The aim is to reduce microbial load to safe levels, not merely to remove visible dirt.

Sanificazione is related to but not identical to disinfezione (disinfection); disinfezione focuses on destroying pathogens, while sanificazione encompasses broader hygiene steps, including cleaning and sanitation of surfaces, air, and water. Other related terms include pulizia (cleaning) and igiene ambientale (environmental hygiene).