Inside our autoclave routine

Our strip says autoclaved metal tools, and customers sometimes ask what that means in practice. Here is the full journey of a cuticle pusher between two appointments.

As soon as a service ends, the technician places every metal tool used, pushers, nippers and the small curette, into a closed steel tray. The tray goes to the cleaning sink in the back room, separate from where we wash hands or cups. Tools are soaked in a cleaning solution for ten minutes, scrubbed with a stiff brush to remove any skin or gel residue, rinsed and dried with a lint-free cloth. This first step matters as much as the autoclave, because steam cannot reach through dried residue.

Clean tools are sealed in paper and plastic pouches, one set per pouch, with an indicator strip that changes colour when the cycle is complete. The pouches go into our autoclave, which steams them under pressure at 121°C for around 30 minutes, then dries them. The machine runs about eight cycles a day, and each cycle is written in a log book with the time and the technician’s initials.

Pouches are stored closed in a drawer at each table, and opened only when the next client sits down. Files, buffers, orange sticks and toe separators cannot be sterilised, so they are single-use and given to you or thrown away. Pedicure tubs are drained and scrubbed after every client, then disinfected and left to dry. If you ever want to see the autoclave or the log book, just ask at the desk.