Sanitation

Sanitation is a very important thing to remember when being in the salon. As a cosmetologists it is your responsibility to prevent the spread of diseases. Always remember to remove all hair from combs brushes and clippers. Then, scrub brushes with soap and water. Immerse all combs and brushes in barbicide for 10 minutes. Rinse it off after removing from barbicide. Spray clippers with disinfectant lubricant or disinfectant and oil. Remember to oil your scissors so they are always moving well for you. This will keep them in a good working order. Wash your hands with soap and warm water before and after every service. Washing your hands is the number one way to prevent diseases from spreading. Always sanitize combs, brushes, clips, shears, and other implements after each haircut by washing thoroughly and placing them in a disinfectant solution. You should replace the blade in the razor prior to each client. Discard used blades in a puncture-proof container. Sanitize your work station after each client you work on. Sweep after them and disinfect everything that was used on them. As stated, infection control has two steps: cleansing and then disinfecting. Remember that when you clean, you must remove all visible dirt and debris from all equipment washing with liquid soap and warm water. The more you clean your surface, the number of contaminants in reduced. A surface must be properly cleaned before it can be properly disinfected. There are 3 ways to clean your tools or implements. 1. Washing with soap and warm water and scrubbing them with a clean and properly disinfected nail brush. 2. Using an ultrasonic unit. 3. Using a cleaning solvent. The second step of infection control is disinfection. Disinfection is the process that eliminates most, but still not all. In the salon setting, disinfecting is really effective in controlling microorganisms on surfaces such as shears. Implements must be thoroughly cleaned of all visible matter or residue before being placed in a disinfectant solution. Use only on precleaned, hard, nonporous surfaces- not on single-use abrasive files. Always use gloves when handling disinfectant solution. An item must remain emerged in a disinfectant for ten minutes unless product says other way. Disinfectants can cause skin and eye damage. You need to be careful while working with these. Always wear gloves and safety glasses. Avoid skin and eye contact. Add disinfectant to water when diluting. Mix all disinfectants according to the manufacturer's directions. Hair clippers, nail drills and other types of electrical equipment have parts that can not be immersed in liquid. These items should be cleaned and disinfected using an EPA registered disinfectant designed for use on these devices. Follow standard precautions to protect you and your client. Standard precautions are guidelines published by the centers for disease control and prevention that require the employer and employee to assume that all human blood and body fluids are potentially infectious.  By following all these guidelines, you can prevent disease from spreading. It is very important to sanitize and keep all your implements clean!