Safety, Sanitation, and Infection Control
Clean, disinfect, sterilize-know the hierarchy
Every sanitation question hinges on whether an item is porous or nonporous and whether it contacted blood or body fluid. Cleaning removes visible debris with soap and water; disinfection destroys most pathogens on nonporous surfaces using an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant at the label’s contact time; sterilization destroys all microbial life and is generally a medical-setting function. Towels, cotton, spatulas, and gauze are porous or single-use-they cannot be reliably disinfected, so use once and discard or launder. Implements must be cleaned before immersion because organic debris inactivates disinfectants. Store disinfected tools in a covered, labeled container.
Handwashing is the single most important infection-control step. Use universal precautions: treat all blood and body fluids as infectious. Wear gloves for extractions and waxing, eye protection when splashing is possible, and never recap or bend needles if used. Know the conditions that require referral: fever, active cold sores, conjunctivitis, lice, open infected lesions, and recent surgery. Traps: using “sterilize” loosely for disinfect; assuming a disinfectant works instantly; reusing a towel because it looks clean. Rule of thumb: clean → disinfect → dry → store covered. Worked example: dropped nippers-wash with soap and water, dry, immerse in EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant for the full label contact time, rinse if directed, dry, and store covered.