2.3 Cleaning & Disinfecting Tools, Equipment & Workstations; Choosing Disinfectant Products
Key Takeaways
Michigan defines a disinfectant as a product registered as a disinfectant by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (R 338.2101).
Michigan non-electrical tools must be cleaned of visible debris, then disinfected by at least 10 minutes' immersion or by scrubbing with a disinfectant wipe or spray, then dried (R 338.2171a).
Michigan requires that tools that go beneath the top layer of skin be sterilized, by liquid sterilant or autoclave, after each use.
After every Michigan pedicure, the basin is drained, cleared of debris, run with circulating disinfectant for at least 10 minutes, then drained, rinsed and dried.
A Michigan establishment must keep the manufacturer-labeled container of every disinfectant and sterilant it uses (R 338.2171).
Why this topic carries so many points
The PSI outline lists methods and procedures for cleaning and disinfection of three things: contaminated tools, machines and equipment, and the daily workstation. It also lists the products used for cleaning and disinfecting. These are separate items in the 50% safety domain, and the practical scores the same behaviors in every topic area. This section gives the textbook method first and then the Michigan legal minimum. When they differ, the stricter one is the safer choice in the salon. On the national test, answer as the textbooks teach.
What counts as a disinfectant
Michigan's definitions in R 338.2101 settle the product question:
- Disinfectant: a substance registered as a disinfectant by the EPA.
- Sterilant: a substance registered as a sterilant by the EPA.
- Wet sanitizer: a covered container filled with an EPA-registered disinfectant or sterilant.
- Clean: an item disinfected or sterilized under R 338.2171a, or a new, unused single-use item.
The establishment must keep the manufacturer-labeled container of each disinfectant and sterilant in use (R 338.2171(1)(e)). The PSI practical also requires a disinfectant label that lists virucidal, bactericidal and fungicidal activity.
Reading the label
| Label element | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| EPA Registration Number | The product is registered as a pesticide under federal law (FIFRA). This is the Michigan definition test. |
| Efficacy claims | Bactericidal, virucidal, fungicidal. Hospital-level products are tested against Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Some also list tuberculocidal or specific viruses such as HBV and HIV. |
| Dilution | Exact mixing ratio. Too weak may not kill; too strong can damage tools and skin. |
| Contact time | How long the surface or tool must stay wet or immersed. Ten minutes is common, and Michigan's immersion minimum is 10 minutes or the label time. |
| Directions for use | Federal law makes it a violation to use the product in a way inconsistent with its labeling. |
| Safety statements | PPE, first aid and storage. The SDS has more detail (section 3.2). |
Common salon disinfectant chemistries
| Type | Notes for the test |
|---|---|
| Quaternary ammonium compounds ("quats") | The most common salon disinfectant. Follow label dilution, and change the solution when the label says or when it is visibly dirty. |
| Phenolic disinfectants | Effective but harsh. They can damage rubber and plastics and irritate skin. |
| Accelerated hydrogen peroxide | Short contact times on some labels; breaks down to water and oxygen. |
| Sodium hypochlorite (bleach) | Michigan's blood-spill rule names it for floors. It is corrosive to metal tools and must be mixed as directed. |
| Alcohol (70% to 90%) | Usually not EPA-registered as a tool disinfectant and evaporates before most contact times. Under Michigan's definition, rubbing alcohol alone is not "a disinfectant" for tools. |
The textbook procedure for multi-use tools
The textbooks teach a cycle you should be able to put in order:
- Wear gloves. Remove visible debris and clean with soap or detergent, water and a clean brush, opening hinged tools. An ultrasonic cleaner can help with joints and bits.
- Rinse off all soap, because soap residue can weaken some disinfectants. Dry the tool.
- Immerse it completely in the disinfectant for the label contact time, with hinges open.
- Remove it with clean tongs or gloved hands. Rinse if the label says to, and dry it.
- Store it in a clean, covered container (section 2.4).
The Michigan legal sequence: R 338.2171a
| Item | Michigan requirement after each patron |
|---|---|
| Non-electrical tools not thrown away | Remove all visible debris. Disinfect by full immersion in a wet sanitizer for at least 10 minutes or the label time, or scrub all surfaces with a disinfectant wipe or spray and a clean towel. Dry by air or a clean towel. |
| Removable parts of electrical tools, such as e-file bits | Same steps. Store dry on a stand or hook, or on a clean towel covered by a clean towel. Corded items must not be stored in a container used for other clean items. |
| Tools and supplies that go beneath the top layer of skin | Sterilize: liquid sterilant for at least 10 minutes or the label time, or an autoclave used as its manufacturer directs |
| Towels, capes, neck strips | Machine wash with detergent in water of at least 160°F for at least 25 minutes of wash and rinse. A commercial laundry is presumed to comply. |
| Chairs, tables, stations touching skin | Remove debris, then scrub all surfaces with a disinfectant wipe or spray and a clean towel |
| Semi-solid products: waxes, creams, lotions, oils, powders | Keep covered. Remove with a clean spatula, or a single-use spatula thrown away after the patron, unless dispensed from a shaker that prevents skin contact. |
| Nail dusters and other brushes | Remove debris, then immerse in a wet sanitizer for at least 10 minutes or the label time |
| Acrylic, gel, nail-art and natural-fiber brushes | Remove debris, then fully immerse in a wet sanitizer for at least 10 minutes or the label time |
| Pedicure basin | Drain; remove debris; circulate disinfectant at least 10 minutes or the label time; drain, rinse and dry. Disinfect the screen and removable parts by immersion or scrubbing, then rinse and dry. |
| Basin with a single-use liner | The basin itself is exempt if the liner keeps water and skin off it, but the screen and any removable parts that touch water or skin must still be disinfected |
Two points are tested often. Michigan lets you scrub with a disinfectant wipe or spray instead of immersing a non-electrical tool. And anything that went beneath the top layer of skin must be sterilized, not just disinfected. Michigan's blood-spill rule also requires sterilizing any tool that contacted blood (section 2.5).
Machines and equipment
- Electric file handpiece and cord: wipe or spray with disinfectant as the manufacturer allows. Never immerse the handpiece. Clean and disinfect bits and mandrels as removable parts. Sanding bands are single-use.
- UV and LED lamps: clean and disinfect the touch surfaces and base between clients with a product the lamp manufacturer allows.
- Paraffin heaters, towel warmers, foot spas and ultrasonic cleaners: follow the manufacturer's cleaning schedule. Textbooks add end-of-day and weekly basin routines, such as removing screens nightly and doing a longer weekly soak. Those go beyond Michigan's after-each-use minimum but are good practice.
The daily workstation
At the start of the day, between clients and at the end of the day:
- Clear the station and throw away single-use items.
- Remove debris, then disinfect the table, armrest cushion cover, lamp and chair surfaces that touched skin. Keep them wet for the label contact time.
- Lay out a fresh towel and clean tools from covered storage.
- Empty covered waste containers. If they are not lined with a bag you throw away, disinfect them at least every 24 hours (R 338.2171(2)(c)).
- Put used towels in a covered container for used items.
Keep chemical containers closed when you are not dispensing. The PSI outline gives the example of closing multi-use containers while clipping and filing, so dust and clippings stay out of the product.
Under R 338.2171a, which sequence satisfies Michigan's requirement for a metal cuticle pusher after use on a client?
Spray with rubbing alcohol, let it air-dry, then store it in a drawer
Place it in a UV sanitizer for 10 minutes, then use it on the next client
Rinse it in hot water and wipe it dry with the client's used towel
Clear debris, then immerse it or scrub it with disinfectant, then dry
A salon uses disposable liners in its pedicure basins. What does Michigan require after each client?
Nothing more, because the liner protects every surface
Run bleach through the basin overnight before reuse
Change the liner and still disinfect the screen and removable parts
Disinfect the basin only once, at the end of the day
Which product qualifies as a disinfectant under Michigan's cosmetology rules?
A product registered as a disinfectant by the EPA
Any cleaning product labeled antibacterial
Seventy percent isopropyl alcohol from a pharmacy
A hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol
Sections you finish are checked off in the contents.