This article originally appeared in Health.com.
The two major ways to protect yourself during the COVID-19 pandemic—washing your hands regularly (or sanitizing them when you're not near soap and water) and cleaning commonly-touched surfaces—seem pretty self-explanatory. That is, until you're trying to decide which types of products to use.
While sanitizers and disinfectants are commonly referred to interchangeably, the two types of products are actually different, and should be used in different situations. Here's what you need to know about sanitizers and disinfectants—including when, where, and how to use them.