For routine surgical hand preparation alcohol-based handrubs are superior to scrubs because they are equally effective but cause less skin irritation, are cheaper, and use less water.

Disadvantages of chlorhexidine-containing disinfectants for surgical hand disinfection: they can provoke allergic reactions, foster antimicrobial resistance, and increase water consumption.

Surface cleaning describes the process by which soiling is removed fromsurfaces "using water with cleaning-enhancing additives (e.g. detergentsor enzymatic products)"...