Colorado Cosmetology Written Practice Exam

What is most effective against killing bacterial spores?

1. Boiling water

2. Disinfection

3. Sanitation

4. Sterilization

The correct answer is: Boiling water

The correct answer is that sterilization is the most effective method against killing bacterial spores. Sterilization involves a process that destroys all forms of microbial life, including highly resistant bacterial spores. It typically utilizes methods such as steam under pressure (autoclaving), dry heat, or chemical agents specifically designed for complete microbial eradication. While boiling water can kill many microorganisms, it does not consistently kill all bacterial spores, which can survive the boiling process. Disinfection and sanitation are effective at reducing the number of pathogens but may not necessarily eliminate spores. Disinfection typically targets bacteria and viruses and may not achieve the sterile conditions required to eliminate all spores, while sanitation primarily aims to reduce the microbial load to safe levels without necessarily achieving complete destruction. Therefore, for the elimination of bacterial spores, sterilization is the recognized standard.