An Approach to Effective Disinfection of Salon Items (clippers, combs and scissors)

O S Olonitola; P F Olurinola; J O Ehinmidu

O S Olonitola Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
P F Olurinola Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.
J O Ehinmidu Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical Microbiology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, Nigeria.

Keywords: Salonsafe, antibacterial, disinfectant, salon, K-value, D-value

Abstract

Antibacterial susceptibility patterns of some bacteria isolated from selected
barbing salons in parts of Northern Nigeria was studied for the purpose of
developing a disinfectant system suitable for use in salons. The K-values for
selected cells ranged from 0.0072 to 0.0399 (benzalkonium chloride), and from
0.0062 to 0.1338 (propylene glycol) as against a range of 0.0147 to 0.1343 when
the two chemicals were combined. The observed D-value range of 64.5 to 99
(benzalkonium chloride), 31.5 to 105 (Propylene glycol) and 21 to 24 (admixture
of the two chemicals) were exploited in the development of "SALONSAFE" - a
salon disinfectant that was able to eliminate 10\fu/ ml (of the most resistant
bacterial isolated in these studies) completely in 60 seconds.