Reviews
Part of Salon Haircut Sanitation Guide: One-Way Tool Flow
Cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation in a salon, and what to do when something goes wrong
What cleaning, disinfection and sterilisation mean for salon tools, how to read a UK disinfectant label, and how to respond to cuts, blood, head lice and scalp sores.
What to take away
- Cleaning removes visible soil. The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says thorough cleaning is essential before disinfection or sterilisation, because material left on an instrument interferes with both. Hair and product left on a tool are the salon version of that.
- Disinfection is the chemical or thermal destruction of pathogenic microorganisms and may not destroy bacterial spores. Sterilisation is a validated process that leaves a product free of all viable microorganisms. Spraying a tool is not sterilising it.
- In Great Britain, HSE lists disinfectants as biocidal products. HSE says the label states what it is authorised for, that it must not be used for any other purpose, and that members of the public must not use professional-only products.
- After a cut, wash the wound under running water with soap, do not scrub or suck it, cover it, and get medical advice. As editorial practice, a tool that touched blood is out of service until it has been cleaned and disinfected to the label.
- A stylist does not diagnose head lice or a scalp condition. NHS advice is that the only sure way to confirm head lice is to find live lice, and impetigo is described as very contagious. Pause the service, stay discreet and point the client to a pharmacist or GP.
The three words, defined
Salon staff often say a tool was "sanitised" when they mean wiped, washed or disinfected. Use the terms in the CDC infection-control glossary. It is written for healthcare, so use it for vocabulary, not as a salon rule.
| Term | Definition in the CDC glossary | Salon example (editorial) |
|---|---|---|
| Cleaning | Removing visible soil, debris and other material, usually with detergent or enzyme cleaner and water | Washing hair, oil and product off a comb |
| Disinfection | Thermal or chemical destruction of pathogenic and other microorganisms; less lethal than sterilisation and may not destroy bacterial spores | A label-directed disinfectant used on a cleaned, non-porous tool |
| Sterilisation | A validated process that renders a product free of all viable microorganisms; risk can be reduced to a very low level but never to zero | A validated steriliser cycle, not a spray, soak or wipe |
The CDC's definitions page states that thorough cleaning is essential before high-level disinfection and sterilisation, and that prior cleaning affects how well both work. That fixes the order: clean, then disinfect, then store clean. The one-way tool flow that puts this into practice is in the salon haircut sanitation guide.
No source reviewed here requires ordinary haircutting tools to be sterilised. Services that break the skin carry different risks, so ask your local environmental health team what applies. The UK salon licensing and hygiene guide explains who to ask.
Reading a disinfectant label in Great Britain
HSE's guidance on using biocides is the rule to apply to any salon disinfectant:
- Read and understand the label before use, and follow it carefully.
- The label states what the product is authorised or approved for, and it must not be used for any other purpose.
- Authorised products carry a number that begins UK-, GB- or NI- followed by a year, or "HSE" followed by a number. HSE notes that a product missing from its lists is not automatically unsuitable, because some active substances are still under review.
- Professional users need information, instruction and training, and are expected to be trained in a COSHH risk assessment, including choosing and using protective equipment.
Labels often cite European test standards. BS EN 1276:2019, listed by BSI, sets a test method and minimum requirements for bactericidal activity of disinfectants used in food, industrial, domestic and institutional areas. It excludes situations where disinfection is medically indicated, and products used on living tissue other than for hand hygiene. A pass against one standard is a claim about bacteria under test conditions, not about every organism or every use. Check which organisms and uses the label names.
Before a product goes into service, answer these from the label:
- Does it cover the item and the surface (non-porous metal, hard plastic)?
- What dilution and application method are required?
- How long must the surface stay wet? The CDC glossary defines contact time as the time a disinfectant is in direct contact with the item, and for surfaces that runs from application until the surface is completely dry.
- Is a rinse or dry step required afterwards?
- Does the tool maker allow the method? Editorial suggestioncheck the shear or clipper maker's care instructions, because a product that suits one metal may mark another.
Contact times differ between products, so this article gives no figure. The label in your hand sets it, and the number of spare combs and guides you need depends on it.
Which level for which item
Editorial suggestion, based on the definitions above and the label rules.
- Combs, clips, shears and clipper blades:clean to remove hair, oil and product, then disinfect to the label. Pay attention to hinges, serrations and blade seams. The clipper cutting guide and scissor haircutting guide cover the craft side of those same tools.
- Porous or cracked items:wooden handles, foam cushions and cracked combs are hard to clean and cannot be relied on. Replace them.
- Single-use blades:discard into a sharps container. Never reprocess.
- Capes, towels, neck strips:fresh or laundered for each client, with used items kept apart. The NHS advises washing towels and bedding at a high temperature in its impetigo guidance.
- Skin:a surface disinfectant is not for skin. Use a product made and authorised for that purpose.
Write down what was done, in plain words: "washed, rinsed, disinfected to the label, dried". Do not write "sterilised" unless a validated steriliser cycle ran.
A tool cuts skin or touches blood
Stop the service and put the tool where nobody can touch the edge. The first-aid steps in HSE's sharps injury guidance are:
- Encourage the wound to bleed gently, ideally under running water.
- Wash it with running water and plenty of soap, without scrubbing.
- Do not suck the wound.
- Dry it and cover it with a waterproof plaster or dressing.
- Get urgent medical advice, for example from occupational health, because effective prophylaxis is available.
- Report the injury to your employer.
That page is written for workers in health and social care, and the sharps regulations it mentions apply to the healthcare sector. Treat it as a reference for what first aid after a skin-breaking injury looks like, not as a salon legal duty. Whether a cut must be reported to the authorities is a separate question, so ask your local environmental health team.
Then, as editorial practice: wear disposable gloves while you deal with it, remove the tool from service until it has been cleaned and disinfected to the label, replace anything that cannot be cleaned, and log date, time, tool and action. Do not tell the client there is no risk. Say what happened, what you have done and that they can seek medical advice.
If a used tool touches a client, the rule is similar. Take it out of service, tell the client plainly in private, tell the manager, check the rest of the station for the same mix-up, and fix the workflow that allowed it.
Head lice
The NHS's head lice page says lice are picked up by head-to-head contact, are not caused by dirty hair, and can make the head itch. The only way to be sure is to find live lice, usually by combing with a fine-toothed detection comb. Lice are up to 3 mm long and hard to spot. Nits are eggs attached to the hair.
A salon is not the place to diagnose or treat. Editorial suggestion if you suspect lice:
- Pause the service and speak privately. Avoid language that suggests poor hygiene.
- Say that you cannot continue and suggest the client speaks to a pharmacist or checks with a detection comb.
- Do not announce it in the salon or share the client's name with staff who do not need to know. The consultation guide covers discreet conversations.
- Treat the cape, tools and chair as used. Launder and clean and disinfect them as for any other client. The NHS page gives no cleaning advice for combs, so follow your salon routine and label.
For the client, the NHS says treatment needs no GP: wet combing with conditioner and a detection comb on days 1, 5, 9 and 13 with a check on day 17, or medicated lotions and sprays from pharmacies, and that children do not need to stay off school.
Scalp sores and broken skin
Never run a comb, guard, blade or shear point over an open area. A stylist cannot tell the cause of a sore. Impetigo is one example. The NHS impetigo page describes red sores or blisters that burst and leave golden-brown crusts, and calls it very contagious. It spreads through skin contact or touching infected items such as towels, and stops being contagious 48 hours after treatment starts, or after 7 to 21 days if untreated.
If the tool path cannot avoid the area, decline or postpone that part of the service, describe what you can see without naming a condition, and suggest the client sees a pharmacist or GP. Keep towels and capes for that client separate and launder them hot. A stylist's own hands matter too: HSE's guidance for hairdressers recommends disposable non-latex gloves for shampooing and colouring, changed between clients, and checking your skin regularly.
Sources
- [GlossaryDisinfection and Sterilization in Healthcare Settings: CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/disinfection-sterilization/glossary.html)
- [Introduction, methods and definition of termsCDC](https://www.cdc.gov/infection-control/hcp/disinfection-sterilization/introduction-methods-definition-of-terms.html)
- [Biocidesintroduction to regulation, supply and use: HSE](https://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/about/introduction.htm)
- [Using biocidesoverview: HSE](https://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/using/overview.htm)
- BS EN 1276:2019, bactericidal activity of chemical disinfectants: BSI Knowledge
- [Needlestick or sharps injuries in health and social careHSE](https://www.hse.gov.uk/healthservices/needlesticks/overview.htm)
- [Head lice and nitsNHS](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/head-lice-and-nits/)
- [ImpetigoNHS](https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/impetigo/)
- [COSHH and hairdressers, key messagesHSE](https://www.hse.gov.uk/coshh/industry/hairdressing.htm)
