Nail Care

Sterilising Nail Tools: Why Wiping With Alcohol Is Not Enough

Cleaning, disinfecting and sterilising are three different levels. Which nail tools need a sterilizer, which should be single-use, and four ways to check a salon really sterilises.

VESSCA · · 2 min read
Sterilised metal manicure tools

Ảnh: LeoNeoBoy / Pixabay

A pair of cuticle nippers passes through dozens of hands each week. How it is handled between guests decides whether you take home anything besides your manicure. This guide explains cleaning, disinfecting and sterilising, and how to check that a salon really sterilises its tools.

Three different levels

  • Cleaning: washing and brushing off dust and skin. Necessary, but it removes only what you can see.
  • Disinfecting: wiping or soaking in a solution such as alcohol. It reduces most surface bacteria but does not deal with all spores and fungi, especially in the joints of nippers.
  • Sterilising: using a machine, with heat or pressurised steam, to deal with the most resistant microorganisms. This is the right level for metal tools that touch skin.
Cuticle nippers need sterilising after every guest
Cuticle nippers need sterilising after every guest · Photo: stux / Pixabay

Why it matters

Even gentle cuticle work can leave tiny scratches around the nail. These are entry points for bacteria and fungi. Common problems after a visit to a poorly kept salon include paronychia (swelling and pain around the nail) and nail fungus. They appear days later, so people rarely connect them to the visit.

What should be sterilised and what should be single-use

ToolProper handling
Metal nippers and pushersClean, then sterilise in a machine
Metal drill bitsClean, then sterilise in a machine
Paper files, foam buffersSingle-use or kept for one guest
Wooden sticks, cotton, towelsSingle-use

How to check

  1. Watch where tools come from — a sterilizer or sealed pouch, not a cup on the table.
  2. Ask: "How are your tools sterilised?" A salon with a machine answers straight away.
  3. Look at the file: new, or worn from a previous guest?
  4. Notice whether the technician cleans their hands before starting.
A technician preparing clean tools
A technician preparing clean tools · Photo: byrev / Pixabay

How VESSCA handles tools

VESSCA's owner trained in Korea, where sterilising tools is a basic part of the trade. The salon has its own sterilizer for metal tools. After every guest, tools are cleaned and sterilised before being used again, and files and soft items are replaced. You are welcome to ask to see your tools before we begin.

If the skin around your nails is cut, swollen or recently infected, it is better to skip cuticle work or postpone. If redness and pain persist, see a dermatologist.

VESSCA is at 251/30 Le Quang Dinh, Gia Dinh ward (Binh Thanh), Ho Chi Minh City, open 9:00–20:30 daily.

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