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What “autoclave sterilised” means at a nail salon.
Updated 27 October 2026
A Class-B autoclave uses pressurised steam at 134°C to sterilise metal tools between clients. UV boxes and sprays disinfect at best; they don’t sterilise. Here is how to tell the difference when you sit down.
01 — Sterilised versus disinfected
Dead versus fewer.
Disinfection reduces the number of organisms on a surface. Sterilisation kills all of them, including spores. The purple UV cabinet most salons point to is storage with a light in it; it does not sterilise. A spray or a jar of blue liquid disinfects at best. A Class-B autoclave, the class used in surgical settings, sterilises with pressurised steam at 134°C.
02 — How to tell in the chair
Pouch, strip, opened in front of you.
Sterilised tools arrive in a sealed pouch with a chemical indicator strip that changes colour when the cycle has run. The pouch is opened at your chair, not before. If the tools are lying loose in a drawer or a jar, they were not sterilised for you. Files and buffers cannot be sterilised and should be single-use; ours go home with you.
03 — What we do
Every metal tool, every client, every day.
Every reusable metal tool at Based Aesthetics is cleaned, then run through a Class-B autoclave at 134°C, pouched with an indicator strip, and opened at your chair. The autoclave is spore tested on schedule. You can ask to see it; most people do. The full protocol is on the sterilisation page, and the three questions to ask any salon are in the Journal.
04 — Questions people ask
Frequently asked questions
Does a UV box sterilise nail tools?
No. It is storage with a light in it. Sterilisation needs pressurised steam at 134°C in an autoclave.
What should I ask a nail salon about hygiene?
Three things: how are the metal tools sterilised, are files and buffers single-use, and are the tools opened from a sealed pouch in front of me.
Can I see the autoclave at Based Aesthetics?
Yes. Ask at the desk.
Next step
Come and watch the pouch being opened.
Book a chair, or book the free nail assessment and see the studio first.