Sanitizing and Disinfecting Tools and Implements

Have you ever picked up a tweezer, nail clipper, or nail file right out of the drawer, or off of a table and used it on yourself or someone else? Well, this section will show you how to properly sanitize, disinfect and store your tools and implements to avoid common infections caused by pathogens. You can use the same technique for your combs and hair brushes too!

In the last post we talked about hand washing. Disinfecting tools and implements is as important as hand washing because unclean tools can also spread disease and infection.

Roxanne Valinoti, a Creative Nail Design education ambassador, comments "Sanitation and Disinfection of Surfaces and Tools is a two-step process, and is the source of much confusion.Valinoti explains, “Sanitation is thorough cleansing of an object or a surface. Sanitizing significantly reduces the number of pathogens. Disinfection should happen after proper cleansing and kills all surface pathogens. When done properly, it is almost as effective as sterilization. A disinfection system must have an EPA registration number from the Environmental Protection Agency for proof of the product’s effectiveness. Sterilization completely destroys all living organisms on a hard or non-porous surface, and uses an autoclave.” Adds Kristi Galiano, education manager for Orly International, “Surfaces and hands can be sanitized: All tools, manicure and pedicure bowls or thrones need to be sanitized and disinfected. http://salontoday.com/ArticleLanding/tabid/130/Default.aspx?tid=1&ContentID=837825

Your tools and implements should be disinfected and stored where they will remain free from contamination. Here's how...

Steps to Sanitizing & Disinfecting (Non Porous)Tools and Implements

YOU WILL NEED: Liquid Soap, water, a clean nail brush, Barbicide brand or other germicidal /fungicidal, (QUATS) a clean, dry towel & two clean, dry, sealed containers; one for soaking implements and another for storage.
1. Sanitize. Wash with soap and water and brush off any debris with a clean sterilized nail brush.
2. Disinfect. Immerse in a solution of germicidal and water mixed and timed according to manufacturers instructions.
3. Rinse Implements and pat dry with a clean towel. Store in a clean, dry sealed container.

TIPS:
Caution: Use gloves when mixing disinfectant solutions
• Dry tools thoroughly and oil nippers regularly to avoid rusting.
• Common Alcohol and Bleach can also be effective if immersed for 10 minutes but tends to dull and  rust implements over time.
•Some salons use a process called Autoclaving. An autoclave is a self locking machine that sterilizes with  steam under pressure. Sterilization is achieved by the high temperature that steam under pressure can reach. This is amongst the most desirable methods of sterilization and is used in the medical industry to sterilize surgical tools.

Steps to Sanitizing Porous Tools
Porous tools should be discarded because they cannot be completely disinfected. You can sanitize them, but only for individual use. To sanitize porous tools and implements:

YOU WILL NEED: A clean nail brush, Barbicide or Mar-v-cide brand aerosol or other spray germicidal /fungicidal, a clean, dry towel & clean, dry, airtight container.

1. Brush off any debris with clean nail brush.
2. Hold tool or implement in mid air with clean tongs and spray with an anti-microbial disinfectant (according to manufacturers instructions) Place on a clean towel and allow surface to remain wet for ten minutes
3. Spray again and allow to air dry.
4. Store in a clean, dry, airtight container for same individuals' use only.

TIPS:
• After each use porous tools should be discarded or stored in a separate clean, dry container for same individuals' use.
• Never share disposable or non sanitized tools or implements.
• To decontaminate other surfaces such as tables, wash with a detergent, spray or wipe with a disinfectant twice and allow to air dry.

DRY SANITIZERS

• Sterilization using dry heat would require heating to 325 degrees F for half an hour. Dry sanitizers sold to salons don't come close to that.
• UV Ray Sanitizers will not disinfect implements and are not effective against viruses. Never use these devices to disinfect!

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Slightly larger than a spray bottle, the handheld Ionator EXP and Ionator HOM from Activeion Cleaning Solutions, ionizes tap water to create a powerful, general purpose cleaner without the risks that come with chemicals. When used as directed, the Ionator HOM kills more than 99.9 percent of harmful bacteria such as: E. coli, Salmonella, MRSA, Staph and even the 2009 Pandemic H1N1 influenza A—or swine flu. “With just a faucet and the Ionator EXP, people now have an abundant supply of effective cleaner that assists in the protection of public health,” says Activeion Cleaning Solutions CEO Jim Wiese. “This is great news for budgets, cleaning staff and the environment.”

Hopefully this post has been helpful..check back periodically at http://naturalnailenhancements.blogspot.com/ for more Nail Care Tips & Tricks...Please post any of your nail care questions and I will do my best to address your comments, questions and concerns.

Hand Washing & Sanitizing for Health & Safety

While reading this month's issue of NAILPRO Magazine, I was pleased to find an article pertaining to the simple act of hand washing and how it can help prevent the spread of disease.

What a way to start my blog on nail care! In this blog I intend to share a host of information pertaining to the proper care and maintenance of both natural and artificial nails for both men and women from my perspective as a Manicurist, as well as what you should come to expect of your salon experience, and how you can maintenance your own nails between salon visits.

Professional salon establishments know that proper hand washing and sterilization of tools and implements is the basic foundation for disease prevention, but are we overlooking this fundamental principal at home? With hand sanitizers in public places anywhere from grocery stores to banks, and with the awareness of outbreaks such as swine flu, it is likely that you too have become more accustomed to being a little over zealous about your own hand washing rituals.

Having worked in Salons, Spas and in Healthcare, I am an avid advocate of hand washing & sanitizing, and have seen first hand, (no pun intended), how skipping this simple process can be a dangerous mistake, and it's one of the first steps you can take in the prevention of spreading potentially life threatening disease & infections to yourself as well as others. According o the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) hand washing is a critical component to the prevention of the spread of pathogens such as fungal infections, MRSA, and the newest scare, Clostridium Difficle. http://www.cdc.gov/

Steps to Proper Hand Washing for Health and Safety

YOU WILL NEED: Hand wash, water, a clean nail brush, disposable drying towel and a few seconds is all that needed.

1. Wet hands, apply liquid soap and lather (Bar soap left in a soap dish can breed bacteria)
2. Rub hands together vigorously for 20 seconds
3. Scrub under the nails and around the cuticles with a nail brush
4. Rinse well because rubbing and scrubbing combined loosens microbes but doesn't kill them
5. Dry hands with disposable towel

• TIPS

• Rubbing and scrubbing combined loosens microbes but doesn't kill them. This is why rinsing well is a very important step.
• Hand sanitizer such is a good option when soap and water are not convenient. Just be sure to vigorously rub in about one teaspoon of the sanitizer until the gel thoroughly dries. Apply to the palms, back of the hands and between the fingers, being careful not to miss the cuticles or under the nails.

• Always wash your hands prior to performing any nail care service on yourself or someone else. If you are performing a service on someone else be sure he /she washes their hands too. The Mayo Clinic is a great resource for numerous other examples of instances when hands should be washed. http://www.mayoclinic.org/about/   

Hopefully this post has been helpful..check back periodically at http://naturalnailenhancements.blogspot.com/ for more Nail Care Tips & Tricks...Please post any of your nail care questions and I will do my best to address your comments, questions and concerns.