Sanitizers are chemical agents that are used in the food industry to clean cooking equipment. They work by reducing microbial growth on the surfaces they are applied to. However, they do not completely eliminate all microbes. Sanitizers are more harsh compared to other chemical agents and some may have the ability to destroy endospores, which are highly resistant forms of bacteria. Unlike sterilants or sporocides, such as ethylene oxide, sanitizers like alcohol or betadine can also be applied to tissue but they do not have the ability to destroy endospores.