What is the cleaning method that involves scrubbing instruments with special brushes and detergent?

The cleaning method that specifically involves scrubbing instruments with special brushes and detergent falls under sanitization. This process is crucial in the medical field as it aims to remove visible dirt and debris, thus reducing the number of microorganisms on the surfaces of instruments. By using scrub brushes along with detergent, this method helps ensure that instruments are physically cleaned before any further disinfection or sterilization processes take place.

Sanitization focuses on reducing the microbial load to safe levels as defined by public health standards, making instruments safe for use. This is especially important in environments such as healthcare settings, where preventing infections is critical. While other terms like disinfection and asepsis are related to infection control, they refer to different processes that may not necessarily involve the scrubbing action or the preparative cleaning associated with sanitization.