Infection Control and Sanitation
The three levels of decontamination
Cleaning (soap and water, removes debris and many organisms), disinfection (an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant that kills most pathogens on nonporous surfaces), and sterilization (autoclave or chemical sterilant that destroys all microorganisms, including spores). Nail technicians clean and disinfect; true sterilization is limited to items that penetrate skin. Learn the order: clean → rinse → dry → fully immerse in disinfectant for the full label contact time (often 10 minutes, always follow the label).
Know your pathogens
Bacteria: cocci (round), bacilli (rod), spirilla (spiral). Viruses are much smaller and need a host cell; bloodborne examples are HBV, HCV, and HIV. Fungi cause tinea and onychomycosis; parasites include pediculosis and scabies. Standard precautions means treating every client's blood and body fluids as infectious.
Implements and surfaces
Porous items - files, buffers, wooden sticks, foam toe separators, pumice - cannot be reliably disinfected, so they are single-use or given to the client. Nonporous metal and plastic implements are disinfected after every client. Pedicure basins must be cleaned, then disinfected with the jets running for the labeled time.
Traps the exam loves
- Calling a UV cabinet a "sterilizer" - it is not.
- Skipping cleaning before disinfection (disinfectant fails on debris).
- Adding water to a concentrate or storing implements in solution overnight instead of timing contact.
- Forgetting that an implement dropped on the floor is contaminated.
Worked rule of thumb
A metal pusher falls on the floor mid-service. Do not wipe it on a towel. Set it aside, finish with a clean implement, then scrub it with soap and water, dry it, and immerse it for the full label contact time before it touches another client.