Hygiene, Sanitation and Infection Control
This domain tests the difference between cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation, and your ability to break the chain of infection in a salon. Questions often ask which method is correct for a tool, linen, hands or a work surface.
Core concepts
- Cleaning removes visible soil and reduces microbes; disinfection kills many pathogens on surfaces but may not kill spores; sterilisation destroys all microbial life, including spores.
- The chain of infection needs an infectious agent, reservoir, exit, transmission, entry and susceptible host. Hand hygiene, clean tools and safe waste interrupt it.
- Standard precautions apply to every client: hand hygiene, gloves for blood or body fluids, covered cuts, single-use items where possible, and safe sharps disposal.
- Clean before disinfecting. Organic matter such as hair, skin or blood can stop disinfectants working.
- Use the labelled contact time; more product is not a substitute for correct time.
- Launder towels and gowns at the correct temperature and store them dry and covered.
- Do not double-dip applicators or return used product to the main container.
Worked example
Metal cuticle nippers are used on a client. Reasoning: remove visible debris, wash with detergent and water, dry, then process in a validated autoclave cycle and store in a dry covered container. If an autoclave is unavailable, use a validated alternative for the tool type, not a UV cabinet alone, because a UV cabinet is storage or low-level treatment, not reliable sterilisation.
Traps that cost marks
- Calling a disinfectant a steriliser.
- Disinfecting a tool before cleaning it.
- Using a UV cabinet as the only sterilisation step.
- Sharing porous files or buffers without single-use control.
- Skipping hand hygiene between clients.