Steam sterilisation

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Hi, just wondered if anyone could share thoughts. Whilst in Asda the other day, i brought an electric steam cooker for the kitchen. It got me thinking- perfect size for desk, perfect size for implements, one hour timer, compact etc, etc.

A bit like the ones here:

Food Steamers - ASDA Electricals?

Question is, will it be sufficient to sterilize implements. After all- steam is steam, isnt it?
 
A frind of mine uses an Avent baby steriliser, not sure what the difference would be, possibly the level of heat from the steam (?) and the timing.
 
You don't need to sterilise your salon work tools, disinfecting them is enough :) Stick to barbicide and disinfectant spray.

:D
 
my main job is in an opticians. Image is everything (scuse the pun) the more you are seen to be taking care of hygiene the better. just thought that steam serilisation to a client looks more impressive than spraying on with barbicide and wiping down.

If i wanted to use this method, would it afford enough protection against bugs and nasties?
 
Thinking about what Layla said.. I'm sure the only course I did where we sterilised (using the autoclave) was electrolysis

Please please don't be offended by this, but if image is everything I'm not sure a food steamer is the way to go, sorry :hug:
 
I'll spray my disinfectant over my tools and files infront of my clients, that way, they know I'm clean. I'll also wipe over my desk with disinfectant wipes at the end of the service where they can see, and they can also see my barbicide on my desk.

A lot of people know of barbicide from hairdressing/barber salons, even my bloke knew about before I introduced him to my nail kit! I'd personally say that is sufficient enough. Most people probably aren't aware of what an autoclave is or does by sight!

:) xx
 
Thinking about what Layla said.. I'm sure the only course I did where we sterilised (using the autoclave) was electrolysis

Please please don't be offended by this, but if image is everything I'm not sure a food steamer is the way to go, sorry :hug:


haha, i could offer hot snacks whilst doing manicures!
 
haha, i could offer hot snacks whilst doing manicures!
Freshly steamed dim sum sounds good to me!

Although I echo what Layla has said, we're not performing surgery so our normal sanitisation and disinfection rules apply in the salon. xxx
 
I also agree with Cathie! and Layla.
Have a read over this article...http://www.salongeek.com/misc-tutorials/48228-salon-hygiene.html

If image is important, then I would recommend stocking the Mundo range of salon products, for sanitation and disinfection. They would also 'Certify' you which should allay any fears you or your clients would have about salon hygeine.
You could PM Marketing geek for more info.
HTH
 
You don't need to sterilise your salon work tools, disinfecting them is enough :) Stick to barbicide and disinfectant spray.

:D


STERILISATION is the TOTAL destruction of all living micro-organisms.
SANITISATION is the destruction of SOME, but not all mocro-organisms.

By only ever sanitising your tools you are taking a risk...your tools should be sterilised also once a week at the very least (depending on how much use they have).

I use an Avent electric steam baby steriliser IMO they are ideal as they dont take up too much space...they effectively sterilise my tools in less than ten minutes...so easy to use.
 
Already said, but barb or mundo steriling fluid, wipes etc do they job. They have a product for everything too, and when I first got it they did a reasonably priced starter kit if I remember rightly. Hth. Rach x
 
STERILISATION is the TOTAL destruction of all living micro-organisms.
SANITISATION is the destruction of SOME, but not all mocro-organisms.

By only ever sanitising your tools you are taking a risk...your tools should be sterilised also once a week at the very least (depending on how much use they have).

I use an Avent electric steam baby steriliser IMO they are ideal as they dont take up too much space...they effectively sterilise my tools in less than ten minutes...so easy to use.

How does weekly sterlisation make sense, unless you only have one client per week??
 
I was always taught not to sterilise my work tools, disinfection is plentyful. Disinfection is a step up from santising, it reduces and removes pathogens but doesn't kill the spore. Sanitising doesn't reduce as much pathogens as disinfecting does, and wouldn't be sufficient enough to use on tools etc.

As Cathie said, because our tools aren't (hopefully aren't!!) used to cut the skin, or used in surgery, there is no need to sterilise. I'm sure I was told your tools are only sterile whilst in an autoclave, they become unsterile once they are taken out because you're bringing them back into an unsterile atmosphere...I could be wrong on that but I recall being told that on my CND course...please someone correct me on that if it's total nonsense!!

:D
 
How does weekly sterlisation make sense, unless you only have one client per week??


I meant as well as constant sanitisation (before, during, after, etc) each client...sorry i didnt make that clear.
 
hi, i completed my CND foundation last august and this is what we were taught....
sterilisation is not necessary with your tools as as soon as they are removed from the seriliser threy become unsterile again.....disinfecting them with a suitable disinfectant as well as cleaning them after every use is enough. (what Laystar said basically,lol)
Why do something that isnt necessary....i am sure a client will be more concerned about leaving you with a lovely set of nails and would trust that you are following hygiene regs. i do always disinfect my tools in front of a client though with chlori-spary.
xx
 
If you are going to sterilise then you have to do it after every client, once a week is a complete waste of time.

Here is a reply given by Marketing-geek who supplies Mundo products and therefore is an expert in the knowledge of sanitation

...a baby steriliser is not sufficient for thorough sanitizing and is no substitute for an autoclave.

if you are use a steam steriliser it needs to work under pressure for approx 20 mins at a min of 120 degree celcius.

a medical grade cold disinfectant solution would be better than a baby steriliser - with some you only need to immerse for 5 mins for thorough disinfection.a baby steriliser is not sufficient for thorough sanitizing and is no substitute for an autoclave.

and on the Habia website under their Code of Practice which is what we should all work by they state that Sterilisation "can only be performed on metal instruments ... and is unnecessary for nail services unless the nails are infected or the skin has been cut or pierced, which is when the risk of cross infection is at its highest"
Here is the link to the Code of Practice, it seems it would be worth a read for some
http://www.habia.org/uploads/Code_of_Practice_Nails_Services_On-line_Version_January_2007.pdf

Well if the nails are infected we probably shouldn't be performing a treatment, and I cannot remember the last time I cut a client.

NB Please remember this is a professional forum and giving advice that is based on opinion and not fact is not helpful to anyone.
 
I was always taught not to sterilise my work tools, disinfection is plentyful. Disinfection is a step up from santising, it reduces and removes pathogens but doesn't kill the spore. Sanitising doesn't reduce as much pathogens as disinfecting does, and wouldn't be sufficient enough to use on tools etc.

As Cathie said, because our tools aren't (hopefully aren't!!) used to cut the skin, or used in surgery, there is no need to sterilise. I'm sure I was told your tools are only sterile whilst in an autoclave, they become unsterile once they are taken out because you're bringing them back into an unsterile atmosphere...I could be wrong on that but I recall being told that on my CND course...please someone correct me on that if it's total nonsense!!

:D

Yes disinfection is a step up from sanitisation and although disinfecting greatly removes pathogenic bacteria on a non-living surface it does not remove bacterial spores and its true that when tools are taken out of the steriliser..as soon as they come into contact with the air and fingers etc..they are not sterile...but all the bacterial spores will have been destroyed.

If somebody would like to correct me then go ahead but this is just my understanding and opinion that sanitisation is used for tools, hands, skin, nails, worksurface etc before, during and after service, disinfection is used for floors, worksurfaces, walls, bowls, etc (as these cannot possibly be sterilised) and sterilisation is used for your tools.

Im sure its quite unlikely that you will run into problems because you use disinfection but in my humble opinion its no extra trouble to actually sterilise your things on a weekly basis...if i had done a number of clients in a day then i would actually do it at the end of the day. It would give me peace of mind at least.

I guess we are all taught differently and maybe im just a clean freak! lol
 
and here is a copy of a post I gave a year ago...

Okay little lesson in sanitation here. There are three levels - sanitise, disinfect and sterilise
Sanitise - is the lowest level and reduces pathogens to a safe level for a treatment. You would sanitise things like skin, or non disinfectable tools such as abrasives (files) that cannot be soaked, usually with a spray or hand wash or a gel such as Scrubfresh

Disinfect -is the next level and kills some living organisms and reduces the growth of others. It is suitable for hard surfaces and non porous tools. this can be done either with a spary solution, liquid to wipe over surfaces, or soaking in preparatiry brands such as Barbicide (which is pants IMO) or newer products on the market such as Mundo supply.

Sterilisation - is the highest level of sanitation and is not needed in the standard nail salon - although some beauty treatments do require equipment to be sterilised - and destroys all living organisms, usually by use of an autoclave which steams at a very high temperature.
 
If you are going to sterilise then you have to do it after every client, once a week is a complete waste of time.

Here is a reply given by Marketing-geek who supplies Mundo products and therefore is an expert in the knowledge of sanitation

...a baby steriliser is not sufficient for thorough sanitizing and is no substitute for an autoclave.

if you are use a steam steriliser it needs to work under pressure for approx 20 mins at a min of 120 degree celcius.

a medical grade cold disinfectant solution would be better than a baby steriliser - with some you only need to immerse for 5 mins for thorough disinfection.a baby steriliser is not sufficient for thorough sanitizing and is no substitute for an autoclave.

and on the Habia website under their Code of Practice which is what we should all work by they state that Sterilisation "can only be performed on metal instruments ... and is unnecessary for nail services unless the nails are infected or the skin has been cut or pierced, which is when the risk of cross infection is at its highest" Here is the link to the Code of Practice, it seems it would be worth a read for some
http://www.habia.org/uploads/Code_of_Practice_Nails_Services_On-line_Version_January_2007.pdf

Well if the nails are infected we probably shouldn't be performing a treatment, and I cannot remember the last time I cut a client.

NB Please remember this is a professional forum and giving advice that is based on opinion and not fact is not helpful to anyone.


The advise i have give here is what i have been taught in the past, and read in various things.. and what i believe is true....i disagree that a baby steriliser is not sufficient....i find it hard to believe that a peice of equipment used to totally sterilise equipment used to feed babies with isnt sufficient enough to sterilise tools that we use.
 
Equipment used to feed babies does not come into contact with blood so it does not need to be at such a high temperature nor under pressure. also you use the bottles only for one baby and not for continued use on the general public. If a baby steriliser did the same as an autoclave then why would a therapist spend £600 on one when they could go into Boots and spend a tenth of that cost? Foor for thought!

Please be assured that often what you learn at college etc is not correct information - hard to believe I know but it is true, but if you want to be a valued member of this site then you need to be receptive to this fact and please stop giving out misinformation.

Read that link that I gave from Habia - they are guide lines set down by our Government and were put together by the top people in our field. There you will get the FACTS.

As for sterilising at the end of the day, here is a post by Marion Newman, one of the top techs in the country, and a member of the Habia committee that set up the above guidelines ...

Did any of you read my article in Scratch? This info was gained from various sources connected with the HSE.

Also, read the Habia Code of Practice. It's being given out free at Excell and on their website.

I don't really understand the practice of sanitising between clients during the day then disinfecting or sterilising at the end of the day!!! Is it only the last client that contaminates the tools?? What if you had touched some open skin in the middle of the day? Shame about the next client
 

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