A soiled article is one that has been used and has not been ___ or disinfected before use on the next client.

A soiled article is one that has been used and has not been ___ or disinfected before use on the next client.

• A. sterilized
• B. cleaned
• C. labeled
• D. stored

Answer: (B)

Between clients, the essential sanitation sequence is cleaning first, then disinfection. A soiled article is one that has been used and has not had the cleaning step performed before reuse, meaning soil or contaminants remain. Cleaning is the basic action that removes visible soil, making disinfection effective. Sterilization is a higher standard often not required between clients in esthetics, and labeling or storing an item does not address the presence of soil or microbes. So the word that fits best is cleaning, because it represents the missing step that makes the item safe to disinfect and reuse.

Between clients, the essential sanitation sequence is cleaning first, then disinfection. A soiled article is one that has been used and has not had the cleaning step performed before reuse, meaning soil or contaminants remain. Cleaning is the basic action that removes visible soil, making disinfection effective. Sterilization is a higher standard often not required between clients in esthetics, and labeling or storing an item does not address the presence of soil or microbes. So the word that fits best is cleaning, because it represents the missing step that makes the item safe to disinfect and reuse.