How to clean, disinfect and recycle your equipment?

When you choose to make your own cosmetics, you use preservatives that are compatible with a less harmful approach to your health (vitamin E, cosgard, grapefruit seed extract...). However, using a preservative won't protect your preparations 100% if you haven't disinfected your containers and utensils beforehand.
Let's not forget our hands, which are still the first vectors of contamination. Disinfecting your equipment will enable you to eliminate any bacteria or microbes that may have settled on it at the end of the manufacturing process or in storage areas.

How do you clean and disinfect your equipment?

As we mentioned earlier, cleaning your hands is the first step. Our hands are everywhere, picking up all kinds of bacteria and microbes along the way. They are the first vector of contamination. So start by cleaning your hands with a mild soap.
To clean your utensils and containers, put them in the dishwasher at a temperature they can withstand. If you don't have a dishwasher, you can wash them by hand with soap and water and leave them to dry. Once dry, wipe your equipment with an alcohol-soaked cloth, cotton pad or tissue. Alcohol should be at least 60°.

A second method is sterilization. This is achieved by placing containers and/or utensils in boiling water for several minutes. Please note that not all materials, such as very thin plastic containers, can withstand a water bath. If you've already sterilized baby bottles using this method, the process will remain the same for your DIY equipment. Plunge them into a pan of water and bring to the boil, then turn down the heat and leave to boil for ten minutes or so. Leave to drain and dry.

Your material is now ready to use!

Choosing to make your own cosmetics means adopting an ethical approach. Making your own cosmetics also means controlling consumption and limiting pollution and waste. Recycling empty containers is a good thing for the planet, but how do you go about it?
For old bottles of vegetable oil or jars of shea butter, we advise you to wash them once with hot water and soap. You can then pour the mixture into the bottle or jar, close it and shake well to clean.
If traces of oil have trouble coming off, use a brush (especially for older oil bottles) and soap.

For floral water bottles, wash with soap and water. You can close the bottle, shake well and even spray to clean the spray as well. To disinfect them, pour a little 60° or 70° alcohol into the bottle, close it and shake so that the inside is completely soaked. Spray a little of this alcohol onto the spray to disinfect it too. Empty the contents and leave to dry.
For jars containing clays, salts, powders, etc., simply wash in hot water with soap and leave to dry. Before re-using them, clean them with alcohol.

We don't think about it enough, but don't forget that before recycling, your packaging can also have a second life! Come and discover all our (ultra) simple DIY ideas for reusing your empty containers. Decoration, gift ideas... there's no shortage of choice. It all happens HERE

We hope this article has helped you better understand how to sterilize and clean your DIY equipment.
Do you recycle your old containers? What's your preferred method?