The first notable effective deployment of disinfectants came in 1675 when a Dutch scientist noticed through the glass of his microscope that strong vinegar killed microorganisms.

In 1887, a British surgeon researched the effects of carbolic acid as a disinfectant in the operating theater. The results drastically reduced infection rates among patients.

Modern disinfectants are made from many compounds, including alcohols, aldehydes, oxidizing agents, phenolics, inorganic compounds such as chlorine, some metals, various acids, etc.

Disinfecting agents have become essential in reducing illness and disease. The Industrial Revolution played a vital role in saving lives, as it produced things like chemical detergents that could run automatic washing machines.

In 1908, the United States started a continuous application of water chlorination at the Boonton Reservoir in New Jersey. The technology spread first across the United States, and later across developed nations.

Clean water, filtered, and disinfected has saved countless lives.