Your nail clippers will soon look unsanitary and unprofessional because of the buildup that accumulates there.
When your nail clippers are dirty, invisible fungus and bacteria can transfer from one foot to another. This is why it is important to know how to sanitize nail clippers to ensure that it doesn’t happen. There are several techniques you can try to keep your nail clippers as clean and sanitary as possible at all times.
Sterilize your nail clippers with heat
With sterilization, the clippers would be put to a hot enough temperature for killing microorganisms and bacteria. The special machines you can use for this purpose are bead sterilizers or autoclaves.
Before you sterilize your clippers, use a piece of paper towel or clean cloth to wipe them off. This can remove buildup or lose bits of gunk from the clippers. Focus on the contours and ridges where buildup and gunk often hide.
Let your sterilizer warm up. Based on your chosen sterilization method, the time it will take for the sterilizer to reach heat will differ. For instance, bead sterilizers only take around 15-20 minutes before they are prepared for your nail clippers.
Proceed to sterilize your clippers. Again, the time required for completely sterilizing your clippers will vary. In general, a metal tool is expected to be sterilized if you hold it at least 170°C or 340°F for 60 minutes. Sterilizing machines, however, may only take as fast as a minute.
Use a disinfectant to sanitize your clippers
Most stores sell hospital-grade disinfectants. This is more effective in fighting off most bacteria compared to other disinfectants.
If you bought a concentrated form of disinfectant, you need to dilute it first before you can use it. But, if you got a ready-to-use disinfectant, there is no longer a need to dilute it.
Since the disinfecting solution will be very strong, you need to use the right container for it, such as a glass cup. Use the correct amount to ensure that the used parts of your clippers are completely submerged in the disinfectant.
Different disinfectant formulas might take lesser time to work compared to others. To ensure that the clippers are completely disinfected, you need to soak them based on the time written on the disinfectant’s product label.
Manual removal of stubborn buildup in nail clippers
Tiny bits of buildup could form on your nail clippers and sometimes, these might accumulate in crevices. These ugly buildups may remain even after you sterilize or disinfect your clippers. The best thing you can do here is to use a toothpick for scraping the buildup off your clippers.
You can also soak the clippers in a disinfectant or cleaning solution to dissolve or loosen the buildup. Soaking them longer is sometimes better for the disinfectant or cleaning solution to take full effect. Finally, you can also use a stiff bristle brush to dry scrub your clippers. Get a brush and apply this to your clippers. Change the scrubbing angle and direction frequently as you do so.
