Sanitization reduces contamination by 99.9% or 3-log. A sanitized surface still has many viable microorganisms present. Disinfection eliminates between 99.99% and 99.999% of all contaminates. Only a small number of microorganisms remain after cleaning. Finally, sterilization eliminates 99.9999% of all organisms. Known as a 6-log kill, the result is a sterile environment with statistically zero remaining viable microorganisms.