When you are a spa/ salon owner of a busy location, keeping up with disinfecting and sanitizing your pedicure chair tubs and spa supplies can be hard to keep up with. Not all salon supplies need to be disinfected or sanitized because some items are single use items only, while others are multi use items.
Single Use Items vs Multi Use Items
Single use items are orangewood sticks, cotton balls, and disposable separators. These items must be thrown away after each client.
Multi use items are divided into 3 groups, porous, non-porous and self-disinfecting. The category of the tool will determine how it should be handled.
- Porous items are absorbent. These items include but are not limited to towels, buffers and cushioned abrasive files. They should be disinfected with 70-90% isopropyl or ethyl alcohol. If a porous item comes in contact with broken or infected skin, it needs to be double bagged and thrown away into a closed garbage container.
- Non-porous items are non-absorbent. Spa/ salon supplies that are non-absorbent are metals, glass and fiberglass. Tools like metal nippers, cuticle pushes, electrical file bits and pedicure spa tubs should be disinfected with a hospital grade disinfectant registered with the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency.) Unlike a porous items if a non-porous item comes in contact with infected or broken skin it does not have to be disposed of, however, it has to be sanitized and disinfected.
- Self-disinfecting items are nail polish, gels and liquid monomer. These items do not have to be disinfected with NOTHING. The containers that these products come in do not support growth of bacteria, fungi or the spreading of viruses. Cuticle oils DO support pathogen growth so it’s best to dispense these in a dropper where the brush does not come in contact with the finger.