Final answer:
Disinfectants are the most reliable and widely used method for destroying bacteria on inanimate surfaces, using chemicals such as chlorine bleach to damage bacterial cell components.
Step-by-step explanation:
The most reliable and time-tested method of destroying bacteria is disinfectants. Disinfectants are chemicals used to reduce the number of microbes on inanimate surfaces, like chlorine bleach or products containing chlorine.
They kill bacteria by damaging cell components through chemical reactions with proteins, membranes, or other parts of bacterial cells. Unlike disinfectants, antibiotics are designed to treat bacterial infections within the body by specifically targeting disease-causing organisms, but they do not necessarily remove all bacteria from a surface.
Vaccines are used for immunization against bacterial infections, not for destroying bacteria present on surfaces or in environments. Antiseptics are similar to disinfectants but are suitable for microbe control on living tissues to prevent infection.