Sanitation, Disinfection, and Infection Control
The three levels
- Cleaning/sanitation - soap and water remove visible debris and reduce microbes.
- Disinfection - an EPA-registered hospital-grade chemical kills most bacteria and fungi (not spores) on nonporous surfaces and implements.
- Sterilization - an autoclave destroys all microbial life, including spores.
Routine practice
Wash hands before and after every client and before gloving. Disinfect implements before and after each client, fully immersed for the manufacturer's contact time (commonly 10 minutes or more). Porous items - files, buffers, sponges, cotton, wooden sticks, lip and eye applicators - are single-use and discarded. Nonporous metal, glass, and hard plastic may be disinfected or sterilized. Label containers, keep safety data sheets accessible, and place sharps in a sharps container.
Blood and body fluid exposure
Treat all blood and body fluids as infectious (universal precautions). Glove, stop the service, discard contaminated porous items, disinfect the area with a tuberculocidal hospital disinfectant, and report per policy.
Traps
- A UV towel cabinet is not a substitute for disinfection of implements.
- Leaving tools sitting in a jar of disinfectant all week ignores correct dilution and contact time.
- 70% alcohol is not a hospital-grade disinfectant for blood-contaminated items.
- Double-dipping wax, creams, or makeup is prohibited - use a new spatula or disposable applicator.
Rule of thumb: "If it touches skin and can't be disinfected - throw it away."