Keeping a clean tattoo shop is essential for the health and safety of your customers. This means that you must take every precaution to ensure proper equipment sterilization.
Sterilization can be done through various methods, including chemicals and autoclaves. The autoclave process utilizes pressurized steam to eradicate harmful microorganisms.
Autoclaves
Tools must be sterilized before being used on clients to ensure a safe and clean experience at tattoo shops. This ensures that clients don’t contract infections and viruses that may be transferred to them through their skin during their tattoo process.
The most effective way to do this is through autoclaves, which utilize steam under pressure to kill microorganisms on equipment ranging from metal to PTFE. These sterilizers are the best option for a tattoo shop because they’re safe and reliable.
They also save more time and energy than dry heat sterilizers, making them an excellent choice for high-volume tattoos like a Colorado tattoo and some piercing shops. In addition, they’re inexpensive and easy to maintain.
Disposables
Many tattoo and piercing shops use disposables for needles, tubes, and ink caps. This is an easy way to ensure clients get a clean and safe experience each visit.
Most of these single-use items arrive in sterile packaging. They are opened and used only once, then thrown away.
Disposables also help reduce cross-contamination, a significant concern for tattoo and piercing artists. When a tattoo machine or piercing needle penetrates the skin, it creates a puncture wound that can spread the infection to other body areas.
Sterilization is one of the most effective ways to prevent cross-contamination and disease transmission. It should be performed regularly alongside proper hand hygiene and cleanliness of the shop.
Sharps Containers
Tattoo shops and piercing studios must keep sharps containers on hand to safely dispose of needles, syringes, and other instruments that can cause cuts or sticks. It is illegal to throw needles or syringes in the trash, flush them down the toilet or leave them on the ground or in public areas.
Sharps containers are available in a wide range of sizes and shapes to meet the needs of medical facilities. Smaller bins are appropriate for travel and home use, while larger ones accommodate busy medical practices.
Sizes vary depending on how much waste you generate and how often you change your container. For example, a one-quart bin holds up to 500 needles or 36 insulin syringes.
Choosing a sharps disposal container that fits your facility’s needs can ensure you comply with regulated waste regulations and reduce the risk of injury to yourself, your clients, and the public. Keeping your shop clean and clutter-free can also help minimize the risk of damage caused by loose sharps.
Disinfectants
Tattoo and piercing artists need a safe and clean working environment to ensure clients get the best experience possible. In a shop without proper sterilization, microorganisms can take root and cause infections that could lead to serious health problems.
Disinfectants are used to kill microorganisms that cling to objects. They also help clean surfaces contaminated with blood or other bodily fluids.
Many types of disinfectants can be used in a tattoo and piercing shop. They include steam, gas, dry heat, and flame sterilization.
Steam Sterilization: This is a widespread and efficient way to sterilize tools and equipment. However, it does not eliminate 100% of microorganisms.
Gas Sterilization: This method is also highly effective but requires special equipment.
Using these methods in a tattoo and piercing store is not recommended because they are costly. But they are an excellent option for single-use items and medical waste.
