Infection Control: Sanitation, Disinfection, and Safety
Three levels you must keep separate
Sanitation is cleaning - physically removing soil and reducing microorganisms to a safe level on surfaces, floors, and linens. Disinfection kills most pathogenic organisms on nonporous implements. Sterilization destroys all microorganisms including spores and is not an esthetician's routine standard. Exam questions love to swap these words.
The implement routine
Scrub reusable tools with soap and water, rinse, dry completely, then fully immerse in an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant labeled bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal, and pseudomonacidal. Respect the label's contact time and mix ratio - usually about ten minutes - then store tools in a clean, covered container. Porous items (towels, sponges, cotton, wooden sticks, files that cannot be immersed) are single-use only. UV cabinets and jars of colored liquid do not disinfect. Never double-dip into product; use a spatula and a clean dish.
Hands, blood, and surfaces
Wash hands before and after every client and wear gloves when blood or body fluids may be present. For a bleed: glove, clean the area, apply an EPA-registered disinfectant or a freshly mixed bleach solution, and dispose of contaminated materials in a covered waste container. Keep safety data sheets for every chemical on site.
Rule of thumb: if an item cannot be cleaned and disinfected, it cannot be reused on a second client. A related trap is assuming a surface wipe "sanitizes" your tweezers - it does not.