A Guide to Thorough Salon Sterilisation

Clean, Sanitary, or Sterile: What’s the Difference and Why Does it Matter?

We all know how important it is to clean and sanitise the surfaces of our homes and workplaces, especially when we have to carry out professional beauty treatments such as brow lamination, lash filler, eyelash extensions, or anything else, but how can we be sure that we’re carrying out our sanitisation procedures correctly?

Germs and bacteria bring with them a serious risk of contamination, which is why it is so important—and in some cases a legal requirement—to properly clean our tools and our workspaces to reduce the risk of the transmission of bacteria and germs that can cause infections or other health risks.

What is the Difference Between Cleaning, Sanitising and Sterilising?

It’s quite common to see these three terms used interchangeably as they are very similar at a surface level, however there are some key differences which are important to know.

Cleaning 

Cleaning is simply the washing of surfaces or tools. When we wash our tools after a treatment, we remove the residues of dirt on the surface by removing impurities. This step is very important, because often a great many micro-organisms are eliminated simply by cleaning.

Sanitising 

Sanitising—also known as disinfecting—is a deeper clean, it means making a surface or object more hygienic, i.e. cleaning a surface or object to eliminate the vast majority of bacteria and harmful substances present on the tools which remain there after cleaning.

Sterilising 

Sterilisation is the complete destruction and elimination of all micro-organisms. Usually this is achieved by following the use of cleaning and disinfectants with an autoclave, which uses steam to kill all remaining bacteria and micro-organisms left on the tools.

Generally speaking, because Lash Lifts and Brow Lamination aren’t involved with broken skin, it may not be necessary to completely sterilize your tools, but rather clean and disinfect. Be sure to check any terms listed by your insurance provider, and the regulations in your area, as guidelines can differ. 

Which Professional Products to Use

Due to these processes having different goals, you will need different products depending on what it is that you’re cleaning. 

To help you with your cleaning and Disinfection needs, the team at InLei® have developed two products designed to keep your tools and your work station fresh and completely hygienic! 

InLei® F 360

InLei® F360 was developed with salons in mind. It gets right to work on cleaning up your workspace. Simply spray on any wipeable surface and then wipe away with a cloth or some paper towel. One bottle contains 500ml, so will last you for a long time, even with multiple daily uses!

InLei® F PLUS

InLei® F PLUS is the perfect solution for cleaning your InLei® Lash Filler and Brow Bomber tools. Start by rinsing any excess product off of the brushes or tools under lukewarm running water. Pour a small amount of F PLUS into a non-metal container, and allow your tools to sit in the solution for up to 30 minutes. F PLUS has been developed so that it does not need to be diluted, so you can work quickly and effectively, whilst ensuring perfect results every time.

The exact timing for soaking your tools will vary depending on the desired effect:

• Soak for 5 minutes for a bactericidal effect, i.e. one that is able to destroy germs and bacteria

• Soak for 20 minutes for a fungicidal effect, i.e. it is able to kill fungi

• Soak for 30 minutes for a virucidal effect i.e. it is able to destroy viruses and spores

Once the time has passed, rinse your tools under running lukewarm water and allow to dry before reusing. The leftover solution should be disposed of.

F PLUS can be used on all of your reusable InLei® products, including brushes, lifting tools, Helper Tools, Shields, and black and white under eye patches.

TOP TIP: When allowing your brushes to dry, slightly elevate the handles so that the bristles are angled downward. This will prevent water from leading to the deterioration of the glue that holds your bristles in place, helping your brushes to last even longer.

Autoclaves

As we touched on earlier, when your tools aren’t coming into contact with blood as they might for a Nail Tech, it’s not usually necessary to go for full sterilisation, so when performing Lash Lifts or Brow Lamination treatments, disinfection is sufficient. 

If you do want to go the extra mile and sterilise your tools, you should invest in an autoclave. All of InLei®’s tools have been rigorously tested to ensure their longevity with continual exposure to autoclaves, so you can rest assured that even your under eye pads and silicone shields will stand the test of time alongside your fillering tool and tweezers. 

Don’t forget that professionalism is not only seen in the outcome of your treatments, but also in the attention paid to the cleanliness of the premises and tools. A client’s opinion begins to form before you even start your pretreatment, so it’s important to ensure that your space and tools look, smell, and are perfectly clean!