What is the key difference between cleaning and sanitizing a food-contact surface?

Explanation

Cleaning physically removes food residue, grease, and dirt; sanitizing then uses heat or chemicals to reduce pathogens on that already-clean surface to safe levels. They are two different steps, not one step repeated, and the order cannot be reversed: a detergent wash alone does not sanitize, and sanitizer cannot reach microbes through a layer of soil. Water temperature is not the dividing line either, because the third sink may hold either hot water or a chemical solution.