Sterilization of manicure instruments

Salon procedures have long ceased to be the privilege of exclusively wealthy people. On the contrary, now almost every girl goes for a manicure, pedicure, visits a beautician, massage therapist or spends time in a spa. Cosmetology centers are associated with us not only with beauty, but also with cleanliness, and how could it be otherwise - after all, all the procedures that are offered there, in one way or another, relate to personal hygiene. That is why the post- and pre-procedural preparation of instruments and equipment is very important. Today we will talk about disinfection and sterilization of tools for manicure work.

Manicure is a procedure during which small particles of the client's biomaterial remain on the instruments and equipment. But any, even the smallest drop of blood or an almost invisible flake of the skin can store harmful bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms. That is why SanPiN has developed certain requirements for the disinfection and sterilization of manicure accessories.

By the way, it is necessary to distinguish between these two concepts. Disinfection is the treatment of surfaces and tools with special means for the destruction of pathogens.But she is not able to cope with pathogenic microbes. Sterilization kills absolutely all known viruses, fungi, prions, bacteria and spores. No wonder the word "sterile" means "decontaminated, clean."

There are several ways to sterilize instruments, each of which has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Do not stop your choice on just one of them, but rather purchase several devices for processing different tools:

• Dry oven or dry oven. One of the most effective sterilizers, killing microorganisms by exposing them to high temperatures. But not all manicure accessories are able to withstand such sterilization. In dry heat, only those made of cobalt alloys or Japanese steel are processed, while the rest after such processing can “die” along with bacteria.

• Oven (oven). Yes, yes, do not be surprised - a regular kitchen oven can also serve you as a sterilizer for manicure supplies! To carry out this procedure, wash the tools in running water, wipe dry and place in an oven preheated to 220 degrees. Pull it out after 15-20 minutes. Do not use cold water for cooling.
• Autoclave or steam sterilizer. It disinfects instruments with hot steam (up to 134 degrees). They need to be laid out in 1 layer, after washing and drying. The sterilization process in the autoclave lasts 20 minutes.
• Glasperlen or ball sterilizer. It is a metal container in a plastic case filled with small balls of quartz glass. This device is equipped with heating elements, which, after turning it on, act on these balls and they heat up to a temperature of 240 degrees in half an hour. After that, pre-cleaned and dried manicure accessories (only metal ones!) Are inserted there and stay there for another half an hour. Then they need to be removed and washed in a disinfectant solution and can be used.

• Ultrasound. Cleaning with its help occurs as follows: a disinfecting liquid is poured into a special container, tools are laid out there and it is placed in an ultrasonic sterilizer, which removes contaminants by wave vibration action. Copes even with corrosive phenomena.
• UV sterilizer. As the name implies, it fights microorganisms by irradiating with ultraviolet rays. Fights rust well.
• Chemical processing. Not the most popular sterilization method. The fact is that in order to destroy absolutely all harmful microbes and viruses, rather aggressive reagents and special conditions are required: a separate room, containers resistant to their effects, overalls for personnel, suitable storage conditions. Not every salon can afford to carry out such a procedure, especially since there are much more affordable and no less effective methods.

When processing is carried out, the tools are packed in special bags. There are several types of them:

• Craft packages. They are sealed with paper clips and help the instruments to maintain sterility for 3 days;
• Sealed bags. The duration of the period of sterility in them is 20 days;
• Thermally sealed paper bags. In such sealed packages, the instruments are kept sterile for a month.

Manicure accessories must go through several degrees of purification from harmful microorganisms before the master uses them for their intended purpose. Pre-sterilization cleaning consists in removing particles of dead skin and biological fluids and is the washing of instruments in running water using a simple soap. Clean accessories are loaded into the sterilizer, are globally processed from all bacteria and viruses, and then packed in sealed bags. And just before the procedure, they go through the last stage of disinfection. It also passes the workplace and the hands of the master and the client. For this, the following drugs are used:

• Neosteryl colorless. It is used for express disinfection of work surfaces, equipment, tools. Contains alcohol. Dries quickly and does not require rinsing. It has a wide spectrum of action (kills many varieties of fungi and viruses, including AIDS, hepatitis, rotavirus; bacteria and microbes). Does not require ventilation of the room after processing, can be used even with visitors;
• Neosteril blue. Disinfector for the hands of the master and the client. It is a ready-made solution with which you need to wipe your hands immediately before starting the procedure. Also, this liquid has a wound-healing effect. It is absolutely safe, does not cause allergic reactions and irritations on the skin;
• Dezekon, Dezefekt, Dezekon-OM. Preparations for disinfection of tools. They are similar in their properties.They are solutions of special disinfecting chemicals that are poured into the bath and all the tools are laid out there. After processing, they must be thoroughly washed in running water.

Disinfection and sterilization of instruments is necessary in a certain sequence. The whole process takes quite a long time, so every manicurist must have several sets of tools for a shift. So:

• After you have finished the manicure procedure, all used tools must be thoroughly washed in running water with soap, removing visible dirt;
• Then they are placed in a tray with a disinfectant liquid and kept in it for a certain time;
• The disinfected instruments are placed in the sterilizer. There they undergo global processing from all harmful microorganisms;
• After that, already sterile accessories are packaged and packed in sealed bags to maintain their purity;
• Immediately before the next procedure, the bag is opened with the client and the instruments are again treated with alcohol or a disinfectant solution.

In general, all manicure accessories are divided into 2 types depending on the material of manufacture - they are porous and non-porous. Porous - these are most often instruments for single use or reusable, but requiring special cleaning. Non-porous - reusable and easy to clean. Therefore, before proceeding with the disinfection and sterilization procedure, it is necessary to clarify which variety this or that device belongs to and, based on this, take further actions:

• Porous items include fabrics, wood, and absorbent items such as nail files (the majority, as there are also metal ones), sponges, cotton and orange buds, paper napkins and towels, buffs for polishing. They must be thrown away after the first use (with the exception of files, but you need to look at how they tolerate disinfection and if the surface begins to break down after contact with liquid, they must also be disposed of).

• Non-porous accessories are most often metal, plastic, glass, or fiberglass. These include cutters, manicure tweezers and scissors, various brushes. They need to be sterilized and disinfected according to all the above rules after each client.
• Items that do not come into contact with the skin, such as gels, gel polishes, acrylics, colored nail polishes, do not tolerate harmful microorganisms and therefore do not need to be sterilized.

How to sterilize instruments at home depends on who else, besides you, uses your manicure supplies. If you do not give them to anyone, then use an ethyl alcohol solution as a disinfectant and wipe them after each procedure. Once a month, it is advisable to boil them for 5 minutes.If all members of your family use the same manicure set, then more serious sterilization is necessary. And the kitchen oven will help you with this.

You will need: a good dishwashing liquid or liquid soap, an iron pan, potholders and mittens.

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. While it is warming up, thoroughly wash all tools in running water and soap, remove dirt. Wipe them dry. Arrange on a baking sheet, keeping a distance of 5 cm between them. Place in the oven and hold there for 15 minutes, then remove it. This time will be enough for the complete disinfection of instruments.

In addition to dry heat, there is another method of home sterilization - boiling. Pour water into a small saucepan, boil it and immerse the tools in it for 10-15 minutes, then carefully remove it, spread it on a dry rag and dry it thoroughly.

In no case do not neglect the procedures for disinfection and sterilization of manicure accessories! At the same time, it does not matter at all whether you do manicures only for yourself or accept clients as a professional. Hygiene is the key to health!

Answers to questions about sterilization of manicure tools you will learn from the following video.