Colorado Cosmetology License Exam — All Questions

Under Colorado board sanitation rules, how must multi-use implements such as combs and shears be handled between clients?

• a.Rinsed under warm water only
• b.Cleaned to remove debris, then disinfected with an EPA-registered disinfectant used per label✓
• c.Wiped on a clean towel and reused immediately
• d.Sprayed with plain rubbing alcohol for a few seconds

Board rules require reusable implements to be cleaned of hair and debris first, then fully immersed or treated with an EPA-registered disinfectant for the label's contact time. Rinsing, wiping, or a brief alcohol spray does not meet the disinfection standard.

How do Colorado sanitation rules treat single-use (porous, disposable) items like emery boards, wooden sticks, and neck strips?

• a.They must be discarded after one client and never reused✓
• b.They may be reused if wiped with alcohol
• c.They may be reused on the same day for any client
• d.They may be disinfected and reused indefinitely

Porous single-use items cannot be effectively disinfected, so board rules require them to be discarded after one use. Only hard, non-porous implements can be cleaned and disinfected for reuse.

If a client is accidentally cut and bleeds during a service, Colorado health and safety rules require the licensee to:

• a.Continue the service and clean up afterward
• b.Reuse the implement after a quick water rinse
• c.Stop, apply universal precautions with gloves, and clean then disinfect any contaminated implements and surfaces✓
• d.Send the client away without any first aid

Blood exposure triggers universal precautions: stop the service, glove up, control bleeding, and clean then disinfect any blood-contaminated implements and surfaces (single-use items are discarded, sharps go in a sharps container). Rinsing with water is not adequate.

Which practice at a work station would most likely violate Colorado board sanitation standards?

• a.Storing disinfected tools clean and dry in a covered container
• b.Using a fresh, laundered towel for each client
• c.Dispensing lotion with a clean spatula rather than fingers
• d.Storing disinfected implements together with soiled, used implements✓

Clean, disinfected implements must be stored separately from soiled tools to prevent cross-contamination; mixing them violates sanitation standards. The other options—dry covered storage, fresh towels, and spatula dispensing—are all compliant practices.