Cleaning and sanitizing

(but not sterilizing)...

There are several good cleaners/sanitizers out there that you can safely use to clean your homebrew equipment with. The important thing is to get everything that may come into contact with your beer clean. That means stirring spoons, thermometers, buckets, tubing...everything. These things don't need to be sterilized, but they do need to be sanitized (there's a difference).

One of the least expensive things you can use on glass, plastic, rubber and to some extent stainless steel is chlorine bleach. Diluted properly in cold (or lukewarm, not hot) water, bleach will clean and sanitize most of your equipment safely, and keep unwanted mold, bacteria and germs out of your beer. Remember to rinse thoroughly with hot water.

But even hot/cold tapwater has mold, bacteria and germs in it, how can I keep those out?

Well, there are a couple of other cleaner/sanitizers that work well without having to rinse. One item is and iodine based product that is used by hospitals and available at your local homebrew store, or online. Proper dilution with cold or lukewarm water is critical, but you can mix a 25ppm by carefully following the instructions on the label, and this product does not require freshwater rinsing, which can contaminate sanitized items. Another product is a "one-step" powder (what a giveaway) that cleans with oxygen, but contains a tiny amount of chlorine, so don't leave it in contact with stainless for too long. This, and other fine sanitizing products that are safe for brewing are available at your local homebrew supply store, or online, so check these invaluable resources out.

By the way, beer is acidic, so it's best not to use aluminum pots for brewing beer. Baked enamel is okay.

Also, don't use soap on your beer equipment or beer mugs/glasses, it can leave a residue that will ruin a good head of foam. Detergents are acceptable, including dishwasher detergent, which is slightly acidic and acceptable for cleaning stainless.