Safety First

Today I want to talk to you about the rules for disinfection and sterilization of manicure and pedicure instruments in beauty salons.

On websites, in promotional materials, and also in words, every beauty salon is ready to “guarantee complete safety” for each of its customers. But rare customers are familiar with those processes that will ensure their safety. Therefore, the demonstrative spraying of disinfection solution on tools to customers seems quite sufficient. And then a nail technician begins after such preparation to work with peace of mind. But in this case, they risk their health, both: nail technician and visitor of a beauty salon…

Indeed, to ensure the safety of employees and clients of a beauty salon, you can only by following the rules of hygiene at a workplace, disinfection and sterilization of manicure tools. No matter if it is a big respectable salon with a name or a nail technician working at home – if the decision of inviting clients was taken – big responsibility should be taken too about health of clients and of own.

If you spend some minutes to read, this article is going to show you the principles of manicure and pedicure tools disinfection and sterilization and you can ask your nail technician how she/he makes manicure and pedicure tools sterile. Nothing to be shy, it is your health, not only beauty.

First, let’s talk about hands. Antiseptic rub for hands is the first step on the way to the safe beginning of a salon procedure. The substance is applied carefully at all zones of hands: palms, opposite side, fingers and gaps between them, nails. There are plenty of hand antiseptics, but it should be used a professional one in a beauty salon.

What kind of hand antiseptic is used at Nails Territory?

Desderman® pure is alcoholic rub for hygienic and surgical hand disinfection.

Now let’s have a look in detail on the obligatory 3 steps of cleaning of manicure tools. When a nail technician finishes a procedure, after must follow the cleaning of tools, not only those that were directly used, but also those that were simply on a work surface.

The first step should be disinfection of manicure tools. Tools must be cleaned only after they have been soaked in disinfectant solution. It is necessary for killing infections, viruses, fungi and harmful microorganisms.

The second step is pre-sterilization cleaning of manicure tools. This step involves removing from tools parts of skin, blood, any surface contaminants. Cleaning can be carried out by manual manipulations with a help of a brush or devices that create vibration.

The third step is sterilization - is carried out for destruction of bacterial spores, which will ensure complete safety (of course, when the right storing is provided) of manicure tool in the future.

So, let’s have a closer look at all steps of disinfection and sterilization of manicure tools.

Disinfection

The process begins with the preparation of the solution: pouring water and measuring the exact amount of concentrated disinfection solution using a measuring container. Then manicure tools put in the liquid completely. Rotary instruments should be disinfected separately from manual ones, using a special container with holes (sieve) for this purpose.

There are a lot of disinfection solutions for manicure and pedicure instruments on the market: sprays and solutions (ready ones and concentrates). Which is a good one?

Which disinfection solution is used at Nails Territory?

Of course I recommend to use those ones that were made for disinfection of medical instruments with the wide spectrum. Need to remember, that the disinfection product should be exchanged with another one (which has another chemical composition) once a half a year. This caused with the fact that long-term usage of the same solution for disinfection of tools can activate adaptation of microbes and they will stay immune.

Gigasept AF® made to ensure disinfection and cleaning of medical instruments before the process of sterilization. It is effective and suitable for cleaning instruments used in beauty salons. The solution has pronounced antimicrobial and cleansing properties. Gigasept AF® destroys bacteria (including tuberculous mycobacteria), viruses, including herpes, HIV, hepatitis B. At the same time, it does not adversely affect thermolabile materials and does not cause corrosion.

The tools must be immersed in the solution completely, so that all parts of the instrument come into contact with the liquid. Solution can be used repeatedly for 7 days. It is necessary to replace it earlier if obvious dirt sediment have appeared in it, the liquid has changed color, etc.

Tools need to be soaked in the solution for the specified time.

Pre-sterilization cleaning

After the processes of disinfection comes pre-sterilization cleaning. Could be several ways: mechanical (manual) cleaning or with ultrasonic cleaner. Mechanical cleaning: with a cotton-tampon or brush each tool is cleaned for 30 seconds or more. After that, tools should be washed for 10 minutes under running water, and then lowered for 30 seconds in a tray with distilled water.

Ultrasonic cleaner: put water in the container, then place sterilized instruments and press a timer button.

Then tools should be dried, after this can proceed to sterilization.

Sterilization

How to properly sterilize instruments in a beauty salon? Sterilization is the indispensable step that tools undergo every time after use. Manicure tools are sterilized with high temperatures.

For this purpose, two types of devices are used:

Thermo sterilizer or dry-heat sterilizer is a device used for sterilization of any tools made of metal and rotary tools. The exposure temperature is 180 degrees Celsius, the duration of sterilization is 60 minutes.

Autoclave “class B”- equipment for steam sterilization. Tools are processed with temperature up to 134 degrees Celsius, the processing time is 20-25 minutes. “Class B” is the highest class conforming to the most stringent demands and therefore can be unrestrictedly used for the sterilization of all possible loads in medical practices. A “class B” autoclave must in any case pass a Helix test, and according to expert opinion, that can only be achieved with a fractionated pre-vacuum procedure. The autoclaves of the profi class conform to “class B” requirements and are therefore absolutely future-safe.

How is the sterilization of manicure instruments carried out? To begin with, it is needed to prepare tools: to open them, untwist, remove removable parts, etc. Like this they should be neatly stacked on the grate of the thermal sterilizer or autoclave. Tools can be sterilized only when they are completely dry after the previous stage of treatment. Before removing tools from the machine, need to wait until they cool down. Pair of tweezers can be used for this purpose.

After sterilization, tools should be stored in tightly closed containers or, preferably, in special UV boxes. Storing instruments in UV box will keep tools sterile with the influence of UV light after this long process of disinfection and sterilization what I described, but it is not a sterilizer itself as you can find it by such name everywhere in Internet.

Another important issue for maintaining cleanliness is the issue of disinfection of rooms and work surfaces in a beauty salon.

As you can see, the process is taking time, so a nail technician must have several spare parts of the instruments. Such materials as wooden cuticle sticks and files should be one use only, if the files are good enough, I mean, can survive staying 15 minutes or so in disinfection solution without loosing filing quality, they can be also disinfected, cleaned from dust and stored for use only for the same client. Your nail technician should wear uniform and gloves and a table must be clean.

These are the rules and it should look like you are visiting a doctor, only like this you can be sure that you are safe. Wish you all to stay healthy and beautiful!