Salon Sanitation and Disinfection

There seems to be quite a lot of confusion amongst Nail Technicians concerning sanitation and disinfection in the salon setting.

Lets start with the terms- Sanitation, Disinfection, and Sterilization.

Sanitation:
Sanitation is the process of making something clean, to make it healthy. When we sanitize we are killing the one-celled vegetable micro-organism we call bacteria. There are hundreds of different types of bacteria, they are divided into two groups: Pathogenic (harmful) bacteria and Non-pathogenic (beneficial or harmless) bacteria. We sanitize things most commonly by washing them. But keep in mind that sanitation will not destroy some spores and viruses.
To make our hands sanitary we need to wash them for 20 seconds with soap (preferably antibacterial) and water as hot as can be comfortably tolerated. How long is 20 seconds? Remember the ABC song from your childhood? Sing it while you wash, it lasts about 20 seconds. (Of course is you do it out loud, people will look at you funny when you come out of the bathroom!)

Disinfection:
To disinfect something is to render it free from pathogenic organisms or to make them inert. That is, to kill the germs and bacteria or to render them harmless.
In the salon this is most commonly done by immersion in a liquid solution. Some of these solutions include: Alcohol, Quats, or a Phenol compound. To be effective these solutions must be prepared according to instructions and the items to be disinfected should remain in the solution at least 10 minutes. Most disinfection solutions are weakened or rendered inactive by contamination by organic material such as skin or nail dust, they should be replaced daily or according to manufacturers directions.

Sterilization:
Sterilization is to completely eliminate microbial viability. This process kills all non-pathogenic and pathogenic spores, fungi, and viruses.
In the salon, sterilization is not really necessary, this process is only required on instruments entering the body cavity. This procedure is normally used in the medical and dental field. Some salons, however, do use heat to sterilize metal instruments.

The problem with disinfection is what to use. Each product differs in which pathogens they kill and which they don't. Reading the label helps, knowing what the terms mean helps more!

The Labels:
When it says- Germicide or disinfects.
It means that its a bathroom cleaner, it kills one germ of the manufactures choice.

When it says- General Purpose or Broad Spectrum
It has been tested against 3 organisms, usually Samonella, Staphococci, and Streptococci.

When it says- Hospital Grade
It will kill Saminella, Staphocci, Phusidonoma and 2 more of manufactures choice.

If is says- Fungicidal
It kills trich as well as Candida fungus.

If it says- Tuberculocidal
It will destroy the Tuberculosis germ. Anything this strong will also kill AIDS and Hepatitis.

If it says- Virucidal
It will destroy viruses including influenza.