When a surface is properly cleaned, the number of contaminants on the surface is

• A. Greatly reduced
• B. Completely eliminated
• C. Unchanged
• D. Increased

Answer: (A)

Cleaning physically removes dirt, oils, and many contaminants from a surface using soap, water, and scrubbing. When done properly, this mechanical action drastically reduces the number of contaminants present. However, it doesn’t usually eradicate every microorganism or residue, because some can remain in tiny crevices or on porous areas. To achieve near-complete elimination, additional steps like sanitizing or disinfecting are needed after cleaning. So a properly cleaned surface ends up with a greatly reduced level of contaminants, not zero and not increased.