Your direct supervisor asked you to wipe down the equipment. This process is known as:

Sterilization refers to the complete elimination of all forms of microbial life, including spores. This process is more intensive than disinfecting and typically requires specific methods such as autoclaving or chemical sterilants. Since wiping down equipment usually targets surface contaminants rather than achieving absolute sterility, this choice does not accurately describe the action requested by the supervisor.

Discarding involves the disposal of items rather than cleaning them. This term implies that the equipment would be thrown away instead of cleaned and sanitized. Since the request was to wipe down the equipment and not to remove it, this choice is not relevant to the task at hand.

Infecting suggests introducing pathogens to surfaces or materials, which is completely contrary to the intended action of cleaning and sanitizing. The goal of wiping down equipment is to reduce contamination, not to increase it, making this choice incorrect in the context of the question.