Hygiene and sterilisation
What happens to every tool here before it touches your hands.
This is a question clients rarely ask out loud, though nearly all of them think of it. So we answer it before it has to be asked.
Files and sanding bits are single-use
Anything porous that wears during the work — files, buffers, wooden sticks, sanding bands for the e-file — is used on one client and then thrown away. Such items cannot be reliably sterilised, because the material absorbs particles and moisture, so we do not even try.
Metal tools go through three stages
Nippers, pushers, scissors and e-file bits are metal, so they can be processed completely. The procedure is always the same, and always in this order:
- Cleaning. Immediately after use the tools are washed and all visible residue removed. Dirty tools cannot be sterilised — residue shields micro-organisms from the heat.
- Disinfection. The tools are soaked in an instrument disinfectant solution, for the time the manufacturer specifies.
- Sterilisation. Cleaned and disinfected tools then go into the steriliser, where the process is completed. Only then are they ready for the next client.
Processed tools stay covered and stored separately from used ones until we take them out for you. If you would like to see the procedure, we will show you — it is no secret, and it is not a question that bothers us.
The work surface between clients
The table, hand rest, lamp and e-file are disinfected after every client, not just at the end of the day. Towels and mats are either single-use or go for a hot wash after each client.
Pedicures
The same rule applies to pedicures, with one extra thought: toenails are more often exposed to fungal infection. So sanding bits are single-use here too wherever possible, and metal tools go through the same three-stage procedure. Because what we do is a cosmetic pedicure and not a medical one, we do not treat conditions such as ingrown nails, fungal infection or corns — those belong with a medical pedicurist. More about that under pedicure.
When we would rather move your appointment
Please tell us in advance if you have an open cut on your hands, inflammation beside a nail, a wart, or a suspected fungal infection. We will happily move the appointment. It is not a refusal — it protects you and the client who comes after you.
What you are entitled to ask
Every client may ask how the tools were prepared, and may see it. If anything is ever unclear or you do not feel comfortable, say so. We would rather answer ten times than have someone leave with a doubt.
If you want to know more, see the FAQ or write to us through the contact page.
Ask us
If you want any of this in more detail, ask when you visit. The studio is at Dunajska cesta 13 in Ljubljana; how to get here is on the contact page. How to look after your nails at home is collected under nail care.