Final answer:
Soaps and other products without the label 'disinfectant' are considered merely cleaners, as they do not kill or inhibit microbes but rather help carry them away mechanically.
Step-by-step explanation:
Soaps and other products that do not have the word disinfectant on the label are typically considered c) merely cleaners. Soaps work by lowering the surface tension of water to carry away microbes mechanically and are not designed to kill or inhibit microbial growth, thus they do not possess disinfectant properties.
Sterilizers, on the other hand, are agents that destroy all forms of microbial life and are used in more critical environments where absolute sterility is required. Whereas disinfectants inactivate most microbes on nonliving surfaces, and antiseptics are used on living tissues to prevent infection without necessarily achieving sterility. So, while regular soaps may not have disinfectant properties, they still play a crucial role in cleanliness by removing dirt, oils, and some microbes from the skin and surfaces.