Sanitation, Disinfection, and Infection Control
This domain tests the vocabulary of infection control, the exact order of implement processing, and the habits that break the chain of transmission in a salon.
The four levels
Cleaning removes visible debris with soap and water. Sanitizing lowers the microbial count. Disinfection uses an EPA-registered hospital-grade chemical to kill most organisms on nonporous surfaces. Sterilization destroys all organisms, including spores, and requires an autoclave. No product works instantly: the label contact time is the standard you must meet.
Processing implements
Clean first, always, because organic debris blocks the disinfectant. Then immerse completely for the full contact time, remove with clean hands or tongs, dry, and store in a covered container. Porous items are single-use.
Daily habits
Wash hands before and after each client and after glove removal. Change linens per client, store clean towels covered, label secondary bottles, keep the SDS for every chemical, and ventilate. Never double-dip, never carry a pencil or phone into a wet service, and never use a UV cabinet as a substitute for chemical disinfection.
Worked example
You nick a client's ear during a haircut. Stop the service, glove up, clean the wound and apply a barrier, then clean the shears of debris before disinfecting them for the label time. Dispose of contaminated linens in a closed container, sanitize the station, and document the incident.
Traps that cost marks
Using sanitize and disinfect interchangeably, skipping cleaning before immersion, timing disinfection by memory instead of the label, and continuing to work with a tool that contacted blood.