Keeping a Clean Tattoo Shop
What is an Autoclave?
An autoclave uses steam pressure to destroy living organisms and their spores.
The pressure allows the temperature to reach above boiling point to kill the spores and forces a complete steam clean into every part and cranny of the used instrument.
An autoclave makes sure all bacteria is killed. It is the only sterilizer effective enough for tattooing and piercing. DO NOT USE TOASTER OVENS AND PRESSURE COOKERS.
In order to test if the autoclave is working properly, you just send spore samples to a lab. If the spore samples reproduce at the lab, one they pass through an autoclave, the autoclave does NOT sterilize properly. Your autoclave should be spore tested MONTHLY.(Get a Spore Testing Kit Here) Owning an autoclave is not enough! You could face severe liability if maximum precautions are not taken, and records are not kept of the sterilization reports. Sterilization reports need to include a lot number, the date the lot was processed, who processed it, etc.
Also, please bear in mind that not all pre-sterilized disposable needles and tubes are created equal. You should not rely on these products, as any event that took place between packaging, shipment, arrival, and storage could have made these needles and tubes unreliable.
Why You Need to Use Barriers AND Germicidals
From the moment a client is in the chair or lying down on the table, what the client and the tattooist touch must be DISPOSABLE OR AUTOCLAVABLE.
Not everything can obviously be autoclaved. Machines or chairs obviously cannot be thrown away every time they are used. Bacteria prevention happens when there is a barrier between all objects, the tattooist’s hands, and the client’s blood. Barrier film comes in 4×6 inch sheets. The film has a tacky adhesive for surfaces like lamps and doorknobs. Poly bags are good for machines, clip cords, and spray bottles. Poly/paper bibs go on countertops and chairs. What the hell, butcher paper is better than nothing!
Even though you would need to use these barriers, the surfaces must still be sterilized. A high level germicidal need to be used before putting up a new barrier for a new client. I know it sounds ridiculous. “Why would I have to clean under the barrier if it’s already clean?” You cannot scientifically prove the area was not contaminated like you can with an autoclave. If something gets by the barrier, the germicide more than likely kill it, but if the worst were to happen, and the bacteria survived past barrier 1 and the germicide, barrier 2 that you put on that spray bottle will prevent any organism from getting from your glove to your client.
Together, germicides and barriers make risks very SLIM to none.
How to Judge an Artist
When I decide if I am in the right tattoo studio, I look for five rooms:
1.) The Waiting Room
•If the staff does not keep up with this, keeping it clean and organized, it is a major turn off for me.
2.) A Separate Procedure Room
• The bare minimum, beside for a separate room would be a 4 foot wall. Without the separation, the artist cannot guarantee cleanliness because he is not in control of what enters his station. The separate room should be clean. VERY clean. If there is clutter, junk, or instruments in the open, I know the area is not safe. Things should be kept in shelves or cabinets separate from the work area. Sterile instruments had better be locked up tight in a cabinet AND in lidded containers. No carpet flooring in this area. Anything I touch has to be autoclavable or disposable.
3.) The Restroom
-Clean please.
4.) The Cleaning Room
This is the area where the tattooist deals with all the contaminated instruments. There should not be any other purpose for this room, and it needs to have a sink. If I see an autoclave in this room, or if this room is not separate from the rest of the studio, I will RUN my ass to the nearest exit, and I will make sure not touch a damn thing on my way out.
5.) A Separate Sterilization Room (including a spore tested autoclave)
The only materials in this room should be sterile and stored properly. No contaminated gloves, instruments, or foreign thing should EVER enter this room. This room should be clean, clean, clean. SPOTLESS.
There is no exception or excuse to not paying utmost attention to the care and keeping of this room. Even a mid-sized closet could work as this room. There just needs to be sterilizer and ventilation. Remember, no excuse.
Oh, and please do not let yourself be fooled by a “pass/fail” strip. A stripo does not count as a spore test! The studio should have documentation of AT LEAST one spore test a month.
Finally, minimum certifications should include a Red Cross “preventing cross contamination” certificate.
Once a place meets all this criteria, only then is it worth leafing through a portfolio. The portfolio means nothing if they cannot abide to these basic sterilization and cleanliness standards. I will pay premium if I like the artist’s work and he meets these standards. Every cent would be worth it!
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