Saw something at the mall spa in Springfield that made me question a common practice

I was at the big mall in Springfield yesterday and walked past one of those chain spa kiosks. They had a sign up for a free pore cleansing demo, so I watched for a bit. The person doing it used the same extraction tool on three different people without cleaning it between clients, just wiping it on a paper towel. I know a lot of places say a quick wipe is fine, but I disagree. Seeing it happen in person, with visible debris on the tool, really drove it home for me. Has anyone else seen this and decided to stick with disposable tools only?

3 comments

3 Comments

miller.jason2mo ago

What about the legal side of this? If someone got a bad infection from that tool, the spa would have no real defense. A paper towel wipe doesn't meet any health code standard I've ever heard of. They're basically risking a lawsuit to save thirty seconds and a cleaning wipe. That's not just gross, it's a huge business risk they're too cheap to care about.

grant.richard17d ago

Devil's advocate here but you're probably overestimating how much risk is actually involved. Most of these places have been operating the same way for years with no lawsuits because the human immune system can actually handle a lot more than people give it credit for. Paper towel wipe isn't ideal sure but realistically how many infections are actually coming from a clean looking metal tool that barely touches the skin anyway. The legal system moves slow and proving where an infection came from is almost impossible unless you're documenting everything right after the appointment. Plus a lot of these spas carry basic liability insurance that covers this exact kind of thing so the owners probably figure the tiny chance of a payout is worth skipping the extra work.

the_lisa2mo ago

Have you ever asked to see their cleaning process before a treatment? I did that once at a nail place that seemed sketchy. I straight up told them I needed to see how they clean their tools or I was leaving. The manager actually brought out the proper disinfectant and showed me the whole process. Sometimes they just get lazy until a customer calls them out on it.