A transport/preservation system has been found which provides safe, effective transport for patient specimens and bodily fluids, and functions as a preservative for biological reagents, therapeutics and personal care products. The transport/preservative formulations can also be used as safe, effective sanitizers on surfaces, equipment, and appliances. The transport preservation formulations comprising a biguanide and one or more other antimicrobial agents are cidal to microorganisms when present in a sample or on a surface to be sanitized.
