Which process is used to eliminate all forms of microbial life?

The process that eliminates all forms of microbial life, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and spores, is defined as sterilization. This method is crucial in fields such as healthcare and esthetics, where the risk of infection and contamination must be minimized to ensure client safety. Sterilization employs techniques such as steam under pressure (autoclaving), dry heat, or chemical disinfectants that are potent enough to achieve a complete kill of all microorganisms.

Sanitation refers to procedures designed to lower the number of pathogens to a safe level, but it does not achieve total microbial death. Disinfection, on the other hand, eliminates many, but not all, pathogenic microorganisms, specifically focusing on actively growing bacteria and some viruses and fungi. Cleaning involves the removal of dirt, debris, and some microbes from surfaces, but does not demonstrate the efficacy needed to address all forms of microbial life.

In summary, because sterilization is the only process among the options that results in complete eradication of all microbes, it is identified as the correct answer to this question.