2.5 Washington’s Implement Disinfection Procedure & Tool Storage Rules

2.5 Washington’s Implement Disinfection Procedure & Tool Storage Rules

The previous section established the decontamination hierarchy in principle. Washington converts that principle into a procedure an inspector can audit step by step, in WAC 308-20-110 subsections (6) through (9). Because the Washington written examination is required by WAC 308-20-120(2) to "reasonably measure the applicant’s knowledge of safe and sanitary practice," this is high-value material.

The Four-Step Order for Non-Electrical Implements

WAC 308-20-110(7)(a) states that all tools and implements used within a field of practice must be cleaned and disinfected after service on each client in the following order:

The rinse step is the one candidates drop. It is not optional and it is not merged into cleaning: detergent residue carried into the disinfectant degrades the solution.

Subsection (7)(b) adds a specific handling rule: tools and implements without sharp edges or points — combs, brushes, rollers, rods and the like — must be totally immersed in an EPA-registered disinfectant according to manufacturer directions. Partial dipping and wiping do not satisfy the rule.

Two further prohibitions sit in the same subsection. (7)(c): clips or other tools and instruments must not be placed in mouths, clothing, pockets or unclean holders. (7)(d): a client’s personal tools and instruments must not be used in the establishment except when prescribed by a physician.

The Three Approved Disinfection Methods

WAC 308-20-110(6)(b) lists exactly three approved methods of disinfecting tools and implements after they are cleaned of debris, each used according to manufacturer directions:

1. Complete immersion or spray with an EPA-registered disinfectant solution of the object or the portion to be disinfected;
2. A steam sterilizer, registered and listed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; or
3. A dry heat sterilizer, registered and listed with the FDA, or Canadian certification.

The rule’s opening line sets the identification standard: Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved disinfectants are indicated by their registration number on the product label. The product’s manufacturer’s directions for use shall always be followed.

The UV box trap

WAC 308-20-110(6)(c) is one of the most frequently missed rules on state examinations: all cleaned and disinfected tools and implements must be stored in a closed nonairtight container or UV sterilizer, and UV sterilizers shall be used only for clean storage of already cleaned and disinfected tools and implements. A UV cabinet is a storage device in Washington, not a disinfection method. Putting a dirty comb in a UV box does not disinfect it and does not satisfy the rule.

Electrical Tools Follow a Shorter Sequence

WAC 308-20-110(8) gives electrical tools their own two-step order, because they cannot be immersed. Electrical tools and implements must be disinfected after service on each client in the following order:

1. Remove hair and/or foreign matter; then
2. Disinfect with an EPA disinfectant specifically made for electrical tools and implements.

Note what is absent: no soap-and-water wash and no rinse. Clipper blades, trimmers, iron barrels and dryer housings are handled with a product formulated for the purpose — typically a spray or wipe carrying the correct EPA claim — rather than immersion.

Keeping the Solution Legal

WAC 308-20-110(6)(d) imposes four simultaneous conditions on every disinfecting solution or agent. It must be:

• kept at manufacturer recommended strengths to maintain effectiveness;
• free from foreign material;
• available for immediate use at all times the location is open for business; and
• changed daily.

"Changed daily" is a bright-line rule. A jar of quats that has been sitting for a week is a violation regardless of how clear it looks, and a jar clouded with hair debris is a violation the same day it was mixed. "Available for immediate use at all times the location is open" means an empty or unmixed jar during business hours is itself citable.

What Cannot Be Disinfected Must Be Discarded

WAC 308-20-110(6)(a) requires all tools and implements to be cleaned and disinfected or disposed of after service on each client, and states that tools and implements not approved for disinfection and reuse under manufacturers’ specifications must be given to the client or discarded after service on each client. The rule names examples:

• Nail files
• Cosmetic make-up sponges
• Buffer blocks
• Sanding bands
• Toe separators or sleeves
• Orangewood sticks
• Disposable nail bits

"Given to the client" is a genuine Washington option and a common salon practice — the client keeps their own file and buffer between visits.

The prima facie evidence rule

Two subsections carry an unusual enforcement device. (6)(a) states that the presence of used articles in the work area will be considered prima facie evidence of reuse, and (6)(e) repeats it for articles that come into direct contact with the client’s skin and cannot be cleaned and disinfected: those must be disposed of in a waste receptacle immediately after service on each client, and their presence in the work area is likewise prima facie evidence of reuse.

Read that carefully. The inspector does not need to observe you using a file on a second client. Finding a used file sitting at your station is, by rule, evidence of reuse. The compliant habit is to discard or bag single-use items the moment the service ends, not at the end of the day.

(6)(f) completes the set: disposable protective gloves must be disposed of after service on each client.

Storage Separation (WAC 308-20-110(9))

Storage is a separate rule with four requirements:

• (a) New and/or cleaned and disinfected tools and implements must be stored separately from all other items.
• (b) Used tools and implements must be stored in a labeled drawer or container at the work station.
• (c) Roller storage receptacles and contents must be cleaned and disinfected and free of foreign material.
• (d) Storage cabinets, work stations and storage drawers for cleaned and disinfected tools must be free of debris and used only for cleaned and disinfected tools and implements.

The practical layout that satisfies all four is a labeled "clean" closed container and a separate labeled "used" container at each station, with nothing else living in the clean drawer.

Related Surfaces (WAC 308-20-110(11))

Three service surfaces have their own rule. The headrest of chairs must be cleaned and disinfected after service on each client. Shampoo trays and bowls must be cleaned and disinfected after each shampoo and kept in good repair and clean condition at all times. All treatment tables must be cleaned, disinfected, and covered with clean linens or examination paper, which must be changed after each service on a client.