Which items must be disinfected prior to each client?

• A. Shampoo bowls
• B. Chairs
• C. Shampoo bowls and manicure tables
• D. Floors

Answer: (C)

Disinfection between clients focuses on surfaces and equipment that directly contact a client’s skin, hair, or nails and are difficult to fully clean between uses. Shampoo bowls are used for washing hair and hold water and hair debris, so they can transmit microbes if not disinfected after each client. Manicure tables come into contact with hands, nails, and skin, and can harbor nail dust and pathogens, making per-client disinfection essential. Floors are generally cleaned as part of regular housekeeping rather than disinfected between every client, and chairs are typically wiped down but aren’t required to be disinfected between clients unless contamination occurred. So the combination that must be disinfected prior to each client is the shampoo bowls and manicure tables.