2.2 Cleaning & Disinfection Methods for Tools, Machines & Workstations

Why Michigan's Exact Sequence Matters

PSI outline area A.2 tests methods and procedures for cleaning and disinfection across three categories: contaminated tools, machines and equipment, and the daily workstation. Michigan is not vague about this — Mich. Admin. Code R 338.2171a spells out a required, sequential procedure for nearly every surface and tool in a licensed establishment, and PSI writes theory questions directly from it.

The Universal First Step: Remove Visible Debris

Every category in R 338.2171a begins the same way: remove all visible debris before any disinfectant touches the item. Disinfectants are tested and registered by the EPA to kill pathogens on a clean surface — hair clippings, skin cells, or product residue can shield pathogens from the chemical and cause the disinfection step to fail even if the correct product and contact time are used.

Non-Electrical Tools (Combs, Brushes, Metal Implements)

After debris removal, non-electrical tools not intended for disposal must be disinfected by one of two EPA-registered methods:

1. Full immersion in a wet sanitizer for not less than 10 minutes, or the time stated on the disinfectant's manufacturer label, whichever is longer
2. Scrubbing all surfaces with a disinfectant wipe or spray and a clean towel

The tool is then fully air-dried or towel-dried before reuse or storage. A tool pulled out of a wet sanitizer at the 6-minute mark, even if it "looks clean," has not met Michigan's disinfection requirement.

Electrical Tools and Machines

Electrical equipment such as clippers and trimmers follows the same two-method disinfection choice for removable parts — immersion or scrub-and-wipe — but the cord, housing, and motor of the tool itself must never be submerged. After disinfecting and fully drying, electrical items must be stored in a clean place such as a stand or hook; an electrical item with a cord may not be stored in the same container used for other clean tools, since cords can re-contaminate the bin.

Workstation Surfaces (Chairs, Headrests, Tables, Shampoo Bowls)

Surfaces that contact a patron's skin — chairs, headrests, tables, and beds — are disinfected after every use by removing debris, then scrubbing all surfaces with a disinfectant wipe or spray and a clean towel. Shampoo bowls follow the identical scrub-and-wipe procedure after each client; neither is required to be soaked, since neither can be immersed.

Special Cases: Basins, Linens, and Brushes

A basin with a disposable liner that prevents water and skin from touching the basin itself is exempt from the 10-minute disinfection cycle — but any screen or other removable part that does contact water or skin still must be disinfected.

Semi-Solid Products: Waxes, Creams, and Powders

Waxes, creams, lotions, oils, and powders must be stored in a covered container and removed with a clean or single-use spatula that is disposed of after each patron — unless the product is dispensed from a shaker or pump that never lets skin touch the container. This single rule generates a large share of PSI's "spot the violation" scenario questions: a technician dipping fingers into an open wax pot, or reusing a spatula across two clients without disinfecting it, is exactly the exposure risk this rule targets.

Reading Manufacturer Instructions

Every disinfectant and sterilant used in a Michigan establishment must have its manufacturer-labeled container available on-site, and if the manufacturer's recommended contact time is longer than Michigan's 10-minute minimum, the manufacturer's time controls. PSI exam items sometimes test this directly by giving a product label time longer than 10 minutes and asking which time actually applies.

How Often: Between Every Single Client

Every procedure in R 338.2171a is described as happening "after each use on a patron," not on a schedule such as once per hour or once at the end of the day. A comb, cape, or chair that has touched one client must be fully cleaned and disinfected before it touches the next client — even if the same client is returning later that day for an unrelated service, and even if a tool still looks clean. PSI frequently frames a distractor answer around a plausible-sounding schedule ("once per shift," "at closing") to test whether candidates know the true standard is after each patron, with no exceptions for how busy the salon is.

Common PSI Trap Scenarios

• A stylist wipes a chair with a wipe that is not EPA-registered as a disinfectant — this fails the standard because the product itself must carry EPA disinfectant registration, not just claim to "clean" or "sanitize"
• A technician immerses a metal implement in a wet sanitizer for only 5 minutes because the salon is busy — this fails the 10-minute (or longer, per label) minimum contact time
• A nail technician stores a freshly disinfected electric file in the same drawer as a corded electrical tool that was also just disinfected — the corded item is stored incorrectly and can re-contaminate the drawer
• A shampoo assistant leaves visible hair in the shampoo bowl and applies disinfectant spray directly over it — debris was never removed first, so the disinfectant cannot reliably reach the surface underneath