Pedicure Disinfectant - Oxidizing Agents

It has to be said straight away that Oxidizing agents are one of the best and most thorough and fast acting disinfectants to be used in a manicure and pedicure situation. Generally most of these oxidizing agents are harsh cleaners and are effective because of their ability to oxidize bio-matter from bacteria to viruses, fungi and even spores.

Oxidizing agents act by oxidizing the cell membrane of microorganisms, which results in a loss of structure and leads to cell lysis and death. The most common types of oxidizing agent disinfectants used in manicure or pedicure nail salons are listed below:

• Hydrogen peroxide is normally used in hospitals to disinfect surfaces and can work just as well in nail salons where disinfection is also very important. It is sometimes mixed with colloidal silver for added disinfectant spectrum. It is often preferred because it causes far fewer allergic reactions than alternative disinfectants and evaporates leaving little to no residue. As an added benefit, a 3% solution can also be used as an antiseptic if there is a need.
  
• Ozone is sometimes used with high-end pedicure spas where ozone is actually added with the water that is used for the pedicures. The ozone is safe for the skin however is also a strong disinfectant. These ozone producing pedicure spas cost on average over $10,000 and thus even using one as a client will cost you.
  
• Peracetic acid is a disinfectant produced by reacting hydrogen peroxide with acetic acid, it is sometimes used in nail salons because of very broad spectrum of disinfection and it also breaks down to food safe and environmentally friendly residues (acetic acid and hydrogen peroxide), and therefore can be used in non-rinse applications such as counter tops or bench chair wiping. It is effective over a wide temperature range (0-40°C), wide pH range (3.0-7.5), in clean-in-place (CIP) processes, in hard water conditions.