Why Do You Need Sterilization of Manicure Tools?

Most people don’t realize the importance of regular sterilization and sanitation of nail care tools in maintaining cleanliness and preventing the spread of infection. Just rinsing off your professional nail scissors, cuticle nippers, and other nail care items with water and wiping them with a cloth is not enough. Whether you’re doing a DIY manicure at home or using these tools for your salon business, it’s crucial to practice proper cleaning methods after every use.

But why do you need disinfection of nail tools? To help you understand its importance and teach you how to care for your manicure tools, let’s look at the reasons for nail tool sterilization and the proper cleaning process.

Manicure tools get dirty easily

Whether you are trimming long nails, grinding them to shape the edges, or doing the full manicure treatment, you’re basically removing dead cells, dirt, and bacteria buildup from your nails. Fingernails can harbor a lot of germs and filth, especially longer ones.

Most of those cells, grime, and bacteria stick to your manicure tools and make them dirty after each use. That is why complete sterilization of nail care tools must happen after every manicure session. Even if there are no more visible signs of how unclean it is, there could still be microorganisms lingering on the surfaces of each tool.

Dirty tools can lead to infection

Everyone, even you, can be a carrier of germs and infectious diseases. If you don’t clean and sterilize your manicure tools after each use, they can be a potential hazard for the next user. Your dirty manicure tools can be the cause of bacterial, viral, or even parasitic infections. By practicing sterilization nail care tools after every manicure session, you can eliminate all those infectious organisms and prohibit the spread of disease.

How do you sterilize manicure tools?

It’s not enough to understand the importance of sterilization and sanitation of nail care tools. You must also learn how to sterilize tools for manicure properly for it to be effective. First, you’ll have to clean your manicure tools by washing them with warm water and soap. After all the visible dirt and grime are gone, sterilize your tools by boiling them in a pot of water for 20 minutes.

Remove the tools using disinfected thongs and allow them to air dry completely before storing them in a clean container. Some manicure tools processing companies and other sanitation businesses also sell autoclave and UV sterilizers. If you have the budget, consider investing in these items to sterilize your manicure tools.

How often should you sterilize tools?

There are instances where disinfecting your tools by dipping them for five to ten minutes in at least 70% isopropyl or ethyl alcohol is enough. However, you never know when a person could be carrying highly-resistant bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Following the manicure tools sterilization process after every nail pampering session is ideal to ensure all harmful microorganisms are eliminated.

Takeaway

Fingernails are often dirty and harbor a lot of germs and other microorganisms. To prevent the spread of infection and protect your or your client’s health, always follow proper hygiene practices and sterilize your manicure tools. Killing all harmful microorganisms is as important as cleaning off all those dirt and grime.