Safety, Sanitation, and Infection Control
Know the four levels of decontamination
Cleaning removes visible debris with soap and water. Sanitizing reduces bacteria to a safe level. Disinfecting destroys most microorganisms on hard, non-porous surfaces using an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant with a tuberculocidal claim. Sterilizing destroys all microorganisms including spores and is done only with an autoclave. Illinois rules require implements to be cleaned of debris first, then completely immersed in hospital-grade disinfectant after every client.
The traps exam writers build
- Choosing sanitize when an item contacted blood, saliva, or broken skin - that calls for disinfection plus universal precautions.
- Believing a cloudy disinfectant jar or a UV cabinet is doing the job. Disinfectant must be mixed fresh at label dilution, cover the implements fully, and be replaced on schedule.
- Forgetting that porous items (wooden sticks, cotton, porous-core files, foam buffers) cannot be disinfected - they are single-use and discarded.
- Overlooking blood spill steps: gloves, absorb with disposable towel, clean, disinfect with a hospital-grade tuberculocidal product, seal waste in a bag, then wash hands.
Client protection and infection control
Treat every client as potentially infectious (standard precautions). Use fresh towels, neck strips, and capes per client; never double-dip into products; keep hands washed before and after each service; keep the work area free of food and drink; ventilate for chemical fumes; read SDS sheets; keep cords and water away from each other. Refer - never treat - ringworm, impetigo, conjunctivitis, pediculosis, scabies, or any oozing lesion.
Rule of thumb
If it touched skin or body fluid and cannot be fully immersed in disinfectant, it is used once and thrown away.