Clean water - in light of flu season.......

So hopefully everyone in taking check of their painting hygiene practices and amping up just how well they keep it sanitary. Here's a tip from my friend Robbie Hay from Ohio.

She uses peanut butter type jars to hold her water.
She transports them filled in the bottom of her kit.
She paints a few jars with cool fun art on the outside to make them fun and sorta hide the dirty water. When one is dirty on goes the lid and into the kit and out come a clean jar ready to use. She doesn't have to slow down to change water and is able to keep it nice and clean.

I use these super airtight tall, almost square Lock Lock containers for my airbrushes and they would work super for this. Not sure if I'll use this exact method like Robbie but def changing my water more often.

In light of this flu, is anyone using any special signage and really cracking down on painting those who appear sick? We don't want to alarm our customers, but I think taking extra precautions is prudent.

I've just taken my ususal point about not painting sick people from my disclaimer, printed and laminated it by itself and mounted on my a-frame sign which is out where the line if forming. My disclaimer is on my table so they don't read it before lining up.

Since I always use clean brushes and sponges the water changing will be per usual... once the wash water is murky all of the water is dumped and replace with clean.

I am glad that I work the way I do all the time as I really do not have to instigate anything additional... unless I wear gloves.

I found some really cute purple and some lavendar 'surgical' (latex free) gloves at Walmart. I was thinking they would be nice to have since they help keep your fingers clean if you are doing tattoos and 'just to have' in general and lately.

Shannon I know you have a very thorough system for cleaning and sanitizing your brushes...but for more speed, I had the following idea I wanted to bounce off you: Hydrogen Peroxide is really effective in killing bacteria and virus's. I was wondering if after a 'dirty water, clean water rinse of a brush'....if you had a small container of hydrogen peroxide you could dip and swirl, and then dip in yet another 'clean water container to dilute and remove the H2O2' and then the brush should be basically ready to go immediately, rather than having to wait until it dries? Plus, H2O2 is safe enough to gargle with, and is safe for topical applications. Has anyone ever covered the use of H2O2 instead of alcohol?

I know that Gary from Snazaroo has a big fact sheet on how there is more chance of soap or alcohol residue in the brush irritating someone's skin, rather than a chance of infection being passed. But then again, I think I kinda like the idea of using something 'more' to sterilize the brushes and not just relying on the super heavy 'paraben' content of the paints!

Alcohol does kill germs, but is is so much harsher on the brushes. Hydrogen Peroxide is much gentler, but it's super deadly to germs as it instantly 'explodes' them. The more bubbling you see...the more germs that were present....

Just wondering. I'd like to use something that is still 'fast' and yet more effective than just a swish in the ol water tank!!

You'd have to check with someone in health care - I got my instructions from a health inspector and they are in the local guidelines - 70% isopropyl alcohol, chlorine solutions and a few other things, but not peroxide.

I use Vim Oxy Gel to clean my brushes between gigs because it has hydrogen peroxide as the main ingredient... I can't see why it wouldn't be a good idea if you wanted to.

I'm relatively satisfied with my method... I have one cup for rinsing off the paint, then the brushes go to a baby wipe (both to make sure all the paint is out and to give it a bit of a cleaning with the cleansers in there) then to another cup that tends to stay quite clean and clear because it is only for wetting my paints. Visually, psychologically and truthfully, the "dirty" water never touches their face.

But, as is also mentioned on the Snazaroo safety page, they are more likely to get sick standing in line than from getting painted.

No offence but I really don't think there is much that we can do to prevent it spreading in the hopefully unlikely event that we come into contact with it. And as you say, they are more likely to catch it off each other than our kit!

All of us should be doing the best, most hygenic job we can anyway. Getting worried about this...well, yes, it has sadly killed people but so does normal flu and lots of other illnesses.

I use a clean sponge per face and machine wash my sponges between gigs; i clean all my brushes with Da vinci soap & a sanitiser between gigs. I don't paint obviously sick/ open sore etc people. I use the end of a q-tip for lips if they want lips, 1 per person. Most paint brands have some sort of antibacterial ingredient and I will not be adding anything to my water. I only really dip into water to dampen brushes or when I am using Wolfe white; the rest of the time I spray cakes (except rainbow) and use up all that water with the sponge for that face. Most people do similar things, so we are pretty 'clean'...

Cat x

cat x

Hi everyone,
I reside in Arizona & have been involved at many events including some at local hospitals, clinics, schools, etc. I am required to use barbicide in clearly labeled bottles/jars (just like the barbers & hairdressers) for my brushes. I get this from Sally's beauty supply, but it can probably be obtained elsewhere. I uses 4oz per 1 qt of water. This will destroy most virus, including TB. After each brush is used, the brush goes in rinse water & then in the barbicide solution, for a minimum of 2 minutes. I have a lot of brushes in my kit. I carry the premade solution in labeled peanut bar type jars -- i take several jars with me to events. I will not paint anyone who is visibly sick or anyone who has open sores (I have my policies on my display board). I also keep q-tips, cotton pads, & cotton balls in my kit as i can dispose of these after each use (q-tips are great for painting lips). I also keep wipes on the table, so kids can wipe their faces & hands, & I keep a sanitizer pump for my personal use.

Hope this helps, Jean-marie

how do you rinse your brushes after they go into the barbicide? that stuff is pretty nasty to go on someone's skin.