A cleaning medium or formulation that contains a sporicidal composition is described. The composition includes about 0.1-20% weight/weight of a germinant agent, about 0.01-75% w/w of an antimicrobial agent, in terms of dry or wet total weight, and which is admixed with water to generate a solution with a pH of 3.5-9.5. The composition can help trigger the germination of spores, in particular C. difficile, and subsequently deactivate or kill the spores. A means of applying the cleaning formulation in a medium and process for cleaning are also described.