Safety, Sanitation, and Infection Control
Clean, disinfect, sterilize
Cleaning removes visible debris with soap and water; disinfection kills most pathogens on nonporous surfaces; sterilization destroys all microorganisms and requires an autoclave, not a jar of blue liquid. Arizona salons must use an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant at the label's dilution and contact time. Implements must be cleaned, dried, then fully submerged for the full contact time. Porous items - buffers, wooden sticks, cotton, many files - are single-use; if an item cannot be cleaned, it cannot be disinfected.
Blood and body fluids
Stop the service, put on gloves, remove contaminated material, clean and disinfect the area, cover broken skin with a bandage, discard single-use items in a closed container, and wash hands. Never apply a surface disinfectant to skin.
Foot spas and electric tools
Clean and disinfect removable parts after every client and follow the manufacturer's procedure for basins and jets. Drill bits must be cleaned and disinfected or discarded. Electrical tools must never be soaked.
Traps
Questions swap “sterilize” and “disinfect,” skip the pre-clean step, treat a UV lamp as disinfection, reuse a porous file, or forget hand hygiene between clients. Another common trap is assuming disinfectant works instantly - contact time is part of the label.
Rule of thumb
Clean → disinfect for the full label contact time → store covered. If you cannot clean it, do not reuse it.