Rules for sterilization and storage of manicure instruments

Tatyana Yurganova , founder and director of the Space Nails training center, co-owner of the Tibo beauty company, judge on the field of the ABC Ukrainian Championship, coach of the Space Team, author of articles in specialized publications in Russia and Ukraine, trained more than 2,300 students, creator of a unique course on the chemistry of materials Nail Lab

Sterilization

Autoclaving

The treatment takes place with hot steam under pressure. But not all autoclaves are suitable for sterilizing complex porous products and products with locks and joints (cutters, cutters).

Pros of an autoclave:

• processing occurs quite quickly (the sterilizer cycle is 45 minutes);
• You can place a wet instrument;
• suitable for sterilizing brushes and files (class B autoclaves only).

Minuses:

• high price.

Dry heat cabinet

Sterilization occurs due to high temperature. Medical dry heaters are characterized by complete tightness, sensitive temperature sensors and uniform heating. Also, hot air circulates inside the chamber due to a fan, the instrument is sterilized with or without packaging, and processing occurs as evenly as possible. It is allowed to stack tools or craft bags on top of each other.

Small-sized dry-heat chambers differ from medical ones. There is no circulation of hot air, heating occurs only from below, you can only sterilize 1 set of instruments and without a craft bag! Therefore, I DO NOT RECOMMEND using such dry heaters. They are not certified in Ukraine, and you cannot be sure of their ability to maintain the desired temperature.

• The main mode of tool processing is in a dry-heat oven at a temperature of 180 °C for 60 minutes. Moreover, the entire processing cycle takes up to one and a half hours, because the device needs time to heat up and cool down.
• It is important to remember that only absolutely dry tools can be placed in a dry-heat oven (5-6 hours of air drying), otherwise the steel will deteriorate very quickly, rust and become unusable. Some dryers have the additional function of drying the instrument at a temperature of 85 °C for 30 minutes.
• The tool should be laid out on the gratings in an open form in case of processing without a craft bag. When using bags, you cannot place more than three units of tools inside.
• Along with the tools, additional indicators are placed in the dry-heat chamber to help us understand whether the desired temperature has been reached. The indicator on the craft bag is a class I indicator and changes color when the temperature reaches only 80 °C, while class III and IV indicators give a more reliable picture.

Azopyram test

To carry out the test, the surface to be tested (must be smooth) must be wiped with a napkin previously moistened in the Azopyram working solution. If the product being examined has any indentations or roughness, the product is used in the form of a drop (about 2-3 drops of the working solution). This is necessary so that the product passes through all the channels and joints of the parts of the product under study.

After applying the product to the surface, you must wait about 1 minute. During this time, the solution is allowed to drain onto a clean white napkin (this condition is one of the most important), based on the stains on which the conclusion is made. The result, which is obtained after 1 minute, has no diagnostic value, and therefore is not taken into account.

If there are traces of blood on the surface of the test product, after 1 minute a purple color will appear, which after a few seconds turns into pinkish-blue. If the coloring has a brownish tint, then we can conclude that there is rust and chlorine-containing oxidizers on the surface. Pink color indicates the presence of detergents.

The azopyram test, the algorithm for which is described above, may give a false result. To prevent this from happening, certain rules must be followed. Coloring that occurs later than 1 minute after treatment is not taken into account when analyzing the results. The temperature of the products being tested must be at room temperature. Samples of hot objects are not allowed. Do not keep the working solution (with hydrogen peroxide) in bright light or in a room with high temperature.

The Azopyram working solution must be used within two hours, the preparatory solution can be stored at room temperature for 1 month, and when kept in a refrigerator - for 2 months. The container with the solution should be hermetically sealed, and the glass should be dark. After testing, the remaining solution must be removed, regardless of the result. To do this, objects must be washed with water or wiped with a swab previously moistened with water or alcohol. After this, it is necessary to repeat the pre-sterilization treatment.

Storage of tools and auxiliary products

1. Storage unpacked in a UV cabinet.

The most important thing is not to confuse it with a sterilizer. It is necessary to regularly wipe with a surface disinfectant, and lamps must also be replaced regularly.

2. Storage in a craft bag. The bag is not initially sterile and is not involved in any way in the processing of the instrument, so the instrument can be stored in this way only after sterilization in the same bags. Shelf life is up to 20 days if the packaging is intact.

3. Storage in unpacked form is allowed within one day. In this case, a tray with a tight-fitting lid is used, disinfected with a surface disinfectant.