Sterilization, Disinfection, Sanitisation and Hygiene

Important steps prior to ALL manicures/ pedicures/ nail services.

LEVEL 1: STERILISATION
- What does it do?
* Hospital grade sterilisation for all metal implements
* Kills all bacteria, fungus, virus, and fungus spores
- For?
* Cuticle pushers, cuticle nippers
- What you ca use
* Autoclaves (121 deg heat for 15mins or 134 deg heat for 3 mins)
* Chemical Sterilisation (Barbicide solution in water - ratio of 1:10) for 10 mins (soak)
- Warning
* very drying and damaging to skin, cannot use the implements directly onto customers' skin.

LEVEL 2: Disinfection
- What does it do?
* Similar to sterilisation, except spores are not killed easily
* Use for non-metal items that cannot be soaked
- For?
* Files, Cuticle sticks, Nail brushes
- What you can use
* Alcohol (minimally 70% alcohol content)
* Heat in UV Box (but may not be useful for irregularly shaped objects)
* Bleach (but smelly)
* Iodine (not smelly, but stains)
- Warning
* also very drying on skin

LEVEL 3: Sanitation
- What does it do?
* Prevents spread of diseases from clients' and/or manicurists' hands/feet
- For?
* Skin
* Also include emptying of biological wastes after every treatment
- What you can use
* Sanitising spray/ foot soak

LEVEL 4: Hygiene
- General cleanliness of manicurist (hair, nails, skin, etc)