I need help figuring out how to properly disinfect my nail clippers. I’ve been doing my own manis for ages and the only thing I ever do is dunk stuff in acetone, which I’ve now realised does nothing to kill actual germs. So looking for some advice on how to disinfect properly please.
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I skip the salon chemicals and boil my clippers. It only works on plain stainless ones with no plastic or rubber that could melt.
Wash off the skin crumbs first. Leave the jaws open and boil them for 10 minutes so the hinge gets cleaned too. Fish them out, dry the pivot well and put one drop of mineral oil on it. Skip the oil and you’ll be fighting rust next time.
Scrub them first with warm soapy water and an old toothbrush to get the gunk out (like this one). Then soak them in 70% isopropyl alcohol for at least 10 minutes (or something like Barbicide, for however long the label says) and let them air dry.
Don’t skip the scrubbing step. Disinfectant can’t get to germs hiding under dried skin and polish bits.
I keep a little jar of alcohol on my dresser and drop the clippers in after every mani.
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Acetone won’t disinfect your tools, so stop using it for that.
Wash off any gunk first, then use an EPA-registered disinfectant that’s labeled for hard, nonporous surfaces. Follow the dilution and wet-contact time on the label. Leave the clippers open so it gets to the blades and hinge.
If they’ve touched a fungal nail or any blood, check that the label specifically says it kills that. Don’t share them with anyone.
Dry them all the way before you put them away. If they’re rusty or you can’t get the joint clean anymore, replace them.
The drop of mineral oil on the pivot is the step I always forgot, and my clippers got stiff and spotty within a week.
I never thought about leaving a jar of alcohol right on the dresser like that, but it makes way more sense than digging the clippers out of a drawer every time.
First wash off the skin crumbs first and leave the jaws open. Ten minutes of boiling disinfects the clippers, but it won’t kill every spore, so don’t count on them being truly sterile.
Work a tiny drop of mineral oil through the pivot and wipe off the excess, or it just collects more gunk.
The scrubbing tip is so true, I used to skip it and could still see little bits of polish stuck in the hinge after soaking.
You can do an acetone dunk but boiling them for 10 minutes will do far more.
Stainless clippers only need a quick wipe with alcohol after each use. That’s all I do for day-to-day stuff and anything else is probably just overkill unless you’re sharing them or dealing with an actual infection.
Bleach on clippers will cause rust and that can cause problems so don’t let them sit in bleach.
The alcohol jar. 70% works better than the 91% or 99% bottles.
Use a jar with a lid if you leave it out. An open one slowly loses alcohol and gets weaker without looking any different. I dump mine and refill it every week or so, or sooner if it’s gone cloudy or has bits at the bottom.