How to Clean Your Tattoo Studio, Needles, Machines & Gloves?
Unlike a medical surgery, tattooing must not be perceived as a sterile process. The artists do not work in a room with iodine disinfectants and HEPA filters. It is, however, their responsibility to keep the workspace as well as the equipment as clean as possible. This assures that a customer leaves healthy just the way they came and create a proper foundation for proper tattoo healing.
Every artist usually learns about adhering to cleanliness during the apprenticeship. But, it does not hurt to ask yourself time and again if you are running a tight ship still. Well, to brush up on the tricks you may have mastered years ago, please check out the given discussion.
Studio
The tattoo artists must always work in a studio. The spaces in the studios are cleaned daily, hence, believed to be safe. If you plan on starting your own tattoo business, make sure the floor and walls are covered with ceramic or any non-porous material.
Tests conducted via UV dye have shown that the tattoo machines release a micro spray, which includes pathogens that are left behind post tattooing and escalates the chances of spreading diseases.
Work Station
The work station are usually manufactured from stainless steel and concealed with cling wraps. It must be cleaned periodically, more frequently than the studio. The topmost surface where you will keep machines and ink caps must have cling wrap. Change it after working with every customer.
Needles
It is not enough to buy tattoo cartridges from the best shop in your locality; you must make sure they are completely free of germs.
You must put the needles and stainless tubes inside an autoclave. Watch for the blue light because it indicates thorough sterilisation.
Open the cartridges and needles from their packaging in front of the customer. Check the packaging is not past its expiration date because the quality of the contents cannot, unfortunately, be guaranteed after that.
Tattoo Machines
Cleaning tattoo machines is an incredibly challenging endeavour, especially the ones that have complex cast design and cloth coils.
You must cover the tattoo machine in a proper bag to prevent ink from spilling on floors. If your machine is designed in a special way, please rinse it thoroughly. The LACE Nanomachine has no problem in submerged in water. Then you have three choices:
- Spray a disinfectant.
- Put inside an ultraviolet steriliser.
- Autoclave
The last choice is the best, for it will provide you a machine that is sterile as the needles. Some machines cannot handle autoclaving. The steam inside the autoclave softens the graphite brush and destroys the motor. Several manufacturers resolve this problem by installing a detachable motor. But this again leaves behind a machine that is half clean and half dirty.
Gloves and Sharps
Make sure to have a separate sharps container and throw in it only the cartridges and needles. Do not even think about inking designs on human skin without wearing gloves. Nitrile gloves are great, but only if you do not have a latex allergy.
A tattoo artist will be able to drive customers beyond geographical boundaries or build a faithful base of clientele only if he/she assures cent percent cleanliness. When the studio, needles, tables, chairs, etc., are sterile, you hardly have to worry about infections.
