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Hey guys!
Currently my cleaning solution in my wash bottle is 1 part Purklenz, and 10 parts distilled water. I heard that you can also use a mixture of Bactine, Witch Hazel, Water, Green Soap. Personally I don’t use green soap, I use PurKlenz so I would substitute obviously haha.
I was wondering if this is actually a viable solution, and would adding the bactine, and witch hazel make a noticeable different?
How much bactine and witch hazel should I add to my bottle?
Where can I get bactine, and witch hazel?
Do I need to get them off some tattoo site, or like Shopper’s Drug Mart?Any information is much appreciated!
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So my gf picked me up some Witch Hazel, and some Bactine from Shoppers Drug Mart today. I put 2 cap fulls of each into my wash bottle. I then finished a tattoo I had started on my gf some time ago. Normally she has very bad swelling issues when she gets tattooed. A lot of her more recent tattoos have been very red, swollen, and painful for her. She didnt get red at all, nor swollen, and she said there wasn’t any discomfort or pain during the tattoo process. Bactine only works if the skin is broken, so it works well as a rinse aid. With the bactine, and the witch hazel in my spray bottle I simple sprayed my paper towel, and did a “Wet Wipe” during the entire tattoo process, and it was basically like spraying bactine on the tattoo during the entire process. The tattoo looks great!
I am still going to do some experimenting with amounts, and different ratios of bactine, witch hazel, distilled water, and my PurKlenz to get something that works well for me. :)
Here is the finished product:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=421030691305707&set=a.400941813314595.91141.145953635480082&type=1&theater -
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The reason your wife had less reddening and swelling is due to the Witch Hazel. It is an astringent, i.e. (helps reduce inflammation and swelling). If you’ve ever seen the commercial for Tucks and Preparation H wipes for people with hemmorhoids it’s the active ingredient that helps reduce the swelling and inflammation.
Also, you can use Witch Hazel to revive dried up or too thick tattoo ink. You can make your ink safely thinner. If your ink is too thin you can go to your local pharmacy and get pharmaceutical grade glycerin and add it to your ink. It will thicken it up.
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Another reason your wife can be experiencing redness, irritation and swelling is that you might have your green soap solution mixed too strong. Green soap can and will cause irritation if not mixed properly. It’s better to be to weak than to strong. I would mix just a little bit of green soap and use the witch hazel instead of water to be the rest of the solution.
Also, make sure that you are thoroughly disinfecting the area that you are tattooing on her before you ever begin to alleviate any issues with infection, etc. You can scrub an area with Betadine starting in the center and working your way outwards in circles to push any dirt and bacteria away from the area to be tattooed. Continue to clean the area up afterwards with distilled / sterile water as Betadine can irritate if left on the skin. Wipe in the same circular pattern from the center out. Finally, wipe the area down one last time with an alcohol wipe and you’re ready to tattoo. Make sure you’re wearing gloves also even though she’s your wife as you harbor bacteria on you as well. Make sure that you are washing your forearms and hands really well before donning your gloves and make sure you aren’t cross contaminating while tattooing her.
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no matter who i tattoo i always wear gloves
i also change gloves after putting on the stencil and such to prevent cross contamination from the skin to my ink bottles etc
I dont use greensoap I use PurKlenz. an antimicrobial soap with vitamin A and E in it developed by a canadian tattoo artist, and manufactured by a canadian company SOLabs.i mix 1 part PurKlenz with 2 caps of witch hazel, 2 caps of bactine, and 10 parts distilled water
i also use that to clean the skin
i first clean the skin with my solution, wipe, wet, shave, wipe, clean, wipe, clean, wipe, 70% MediSan hand sanitizer for 30 counts, wipe excess, stencil solution–which consists of 7 parts detol, to 1 part isopropyl alcohol, apply stencil, let dry for 10 minutes, apply PurTect (an antimicrobial ointment made by the same people that contained vitamin A and E). i also use PurTect throughout the tattoo process instead of Vaseline or anything.
my work area is VERY clean. everything has a barrier, and is cleaned after each client with CaviCide a hospital grade disinfectant that kills HIV, Tuberculosis, Viruses, Bacteria, and Fungi in 30s. everything is in sterile containers and kept separate from eachother. I use vaseline as an adhesive for rinse cups, and ink cups and nothing else. the vaseline is removed from the tub with a new tongue depressor each time to prevent cross contamination. no needles, or razors are reused. machines are cleaned with cavicide after each client. machine bags, clip cord bags, elastics, and grommets are disposed of after each use. everything I use is one time use
i dont think cleanliness is the issue :D
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To clean instruments prior to sterilization, make a fresh 1% detergent solution (2 1/2 Tbsp. per gal., 1 1/4 oz. per gal. or 10 grams per liter) in cold or warm water. Use Alconox for the standard tattoo equipment cleaning, or use Tergazyme (Alconox plus enzyme) for enzymatic cleaning where health ordinances may require enzymatic cleaning. Use warm water below 130 F (55 C). Clean instruments by soak or ultrasonic method.
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Got on tonight and was reading your setup. You need to do a setup based upon the hot, cold zone theory. I’m sure that you’re aware that when you tattoo microscopic bits of body fluids are released and spread all over your workspace. I’ve been in professional tattoo studios where the artist has their ink on the desk right in front of them and this is a big NO NO. It’s all getting contaminated during the tattoo process. You also need to use a face mask and shield to keep the body fluids out of your mouth, nose and eyes. It’s a given that you also need to have your Hepatitis A and B shots before you ever start tattooing and make sure you’re up to speed on bloodborne pathogens. When you’re doing a setup you need to go ahead and get all the ink that you think that you’re going to need put into caps in front of you on your workstation. Once you start the tattoo process everything is contaminated and if you should need to get more ink you need to completely remove old gloves and any other protective equipment as well as wash up before going to get more ink. I recommend that you place all your sterilized equipment along with inks and other supplies in a cabinet that keeps dirt, dust and other contaminants from getting to your equipment.
You definitely don’t want to have contamination spreading from one client to the next and you definitely don’t want to be breathing in or getting pathogens into your eyes or other mucous membranes or on a cut on your arm, etc. Safety first.
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If I have a cut or something I wont tattoo. I don’t wear a mask, and ive never seen anyone wear one. I’m nto saying its right, or wrong to wear one I’ve just never seen anyone do it. As far as my inks I have a toolbox on the left of my chair that opens up like one of those tool things that mechanics use with shelves like ti as well. It’s not like a regular tool box. All my inks are in the top, and once I’m done with it the lid is closed.
Any time i need more ink–which is VERY rare–I change my gloves, wash hands, etc. After I clean the client and apply the stencil I change my gloves as well. I actually have two different sets of gloves: one for cleaning up, and preping the client, and one for tattooing.
I have Hep A and B shots as well.
The stuff that’s on my table when I start is all disposable for the most part, or covered. It is then cleaned and recovered after the tattoo. My work are is also on my right not in front of me. I’m right handed, and I do this so I’m not reaching over myself to get ink, or what have you :3
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Active ingredient in Bactine: benzalkonium chloride. I’m an information whore, so I like to look up pretty much everything ;) Found this… http://www.annmariegianni.com/ingredient-watch-list-benzalkonium-chloride-the-potentially-harmful-disinfectant. Probably not a big deal with the amounts that you’re using, but good to know nonetheless. :)
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We keep 3 different cleaning solutions here.
1. General sanitation which we use a product called Quat 64. Hospital sanitation recommends using 8oz per gallon, we use 10 oz per gallon of distilled water and it get used on everything, walls, floors, counters, and every surface we have.
2. Pre clean of the proceedure area we use 8 parts water, one part green soap, 1/2 part witch hazel, 1/2 part isoproply alcohol. To get the parts measure out whatever you are using. Example, for a 10oz bottle the mix would be 8oz water (distilled of course), 1/2 oz witch hazel, 1/2 alcohol, 1 oz green soap
3. In booth proceedure, we mix 1/2 part per 10 parts of witch hazel and distilled water for general wiping of the area
4. Proceedure wiping, one of my artists uses green soap mix, 1 part green soap, to 9 parts water, I use distilled water and witch hazel 1/2 part witch hazel per 9 1/2 parts water
5 Pre soak of tubes for autoclave, I use a degreaser called Mean Green and green soap in our premix, don’t really have a formula for that, but I’d say probably about 2 ouces of each in a one gallon container. I have found that the degreaser helps in keeping the ink from sticking to the tubes when we scrub them down.
and yes yes YES an autoclave is important. After much huntig I found a waynes500 dryheat autoclave off ebay for 250 bucks. Works like a charm and haven’t failed a spore test yet. We keep it set at 350 and when used for tubes they go thru a 30 min heat cycle and a 15 minute cool down. IF you do run an autoclave even if you are not in a shop get some spore tests, use them! They don’t cost alot and could very well save a life….Since I am fanatical on my cleaning, I keep everything that is used in a proceedure off my shelves until I’m done and breaking everything down. I have a specail shelf that sits off to the side behind me that has a pull out drawer, once I touch something, bottle, eyedropper, etc, the drawer is opened and I place it on the drawer until the break down of my booth. That inlcudes when I break down my machines, spray bottles, inks, clip cords, scissors (if I used them to cut down a stencil) and so on. Then when I’ve sanitized my counter and work table I spray down a paper towel and wipe everything from my tray and place it back on my shelves where it belongs. Wearing gloves is a given! and I have seen shops that wear a mask, even go so far as to make everyoone wear scrubs daily and even the little foot booty thingies. But nah! Keep up on cleanign and sanitation and ur good I feel. But that’s just me….maybe…
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the only time I wear a mask is when im getting over a cold. the point where I’m not really sick, but still contagious. Other than that I dont find them completely necessary. I have two pairs of gloves. My black nitrile ones with the textured fingers and are puncture resistant are for tattooing, and my regular blue nitrile exam gloves are for clean up, and set up. Also an easy way to remember if you’ve changed your gloves or not after prepping hte client.
as far as cleaning I use 100% CaviCide. No dilution. everything in the shop gets cleaned with it once a week, and the stuff I use every day for tattooing get cleaned after each client. Some things get a full 2 minute sit, others–like my machines–just get a wipe down. New barriers after each tattoo, and change the covers of everything. Anything I think I’ll touch during the tattoo procedure is wrapped, and the wrapping is changed after each tattoo. Bottles are also cleaned after each tattoo.
Floor is cleaned with a mixture of distilled water, and green soap.
I don’t use green soap while tattooing as it is an irritant. I use PurKlenz, and PurTect is my ointment of choice. I also recommend clients use PurSan as their aftercare soap to avoid any possible chemical reactions between products.
I have two rinse bottles: distilled water, 4 caps of witch hazel, 4 caps of bactine. The other is the same thing just with PurKlenz. The one without it is for when I’m doing my outlines. Not having soap helps a lot with keeping the stencil alive.
I use a medical grade hand sanitizer called MicroSan. It is used in the doctor’s offices in my city. My stencil solution is a mix of isopropyl alcohol 99% and dettol.
as far as Bactine it is a widely used product in the tattoo industry. It really helps when your client is losing their pain tolerance, swelling a lot. good spray with bactine, then covered for 10 minutes–this helps the bactine soak into the skin–then you can go back into it. The swelling will almost completely subside, and your client will have a slight numbing for about twenty minutes. this will turning a screaming client into a slightly groaning client. it works wonders. Many artist across the world use it especially Big Gus, and the crew at Tattoo Nightmares in California.
I might try some of your mixtures Spider. Super thorough with the amounts and everything :3
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