A million years ago when Mom worked with me, she handled our pedis. She did waterless pedis and was also a certified massage therapist. She had this whole set up with her massage table — it was quite the pedi.

But then Mom got all disabled and had to stop working altogether. My clients are still waxing poetic about both her pedis and her massages.

I went back to booth rent for a minute and since closing my last salon, I just haven’t had a proper space to offer a decent pedi — regardless of the technique.

But now I’m getting around to putting them back on the menu — I just need to get the bench upholstered.

My first thought was to go back to a waterless pedi technique, but then I started second guessing myself. A lot of people think a foot soak is a major part of the service. What if they don’t embrace my waterless pedicure?

So I started giving it some thought and I was almost ready to invest in one of the foot bath set-ups that use disposable liners. I was doing the research when I came across some mention on a professional forum about the California State Board not “recognizing” disposable liners, and that I would still have to disinfect the outer basin as though it were the primary footbath where clients’ feet had been.

Naturally, I sent off an e-mail to my state board right away asking for clarification.

True story! The Board replied that “since plastic is a porous material...”

How porous is it? So I’m to understand that the plastic the liner is made of is porous enough to allow cooties through it? Even though it holds all the water just fine?

I’m not saying the outer basin shouldn’t get disinfected. I just think it could be treated as a solid surface, instead of having to fill it up with water and disinfectant when it didn’t come in contact with clients.

Maybe the state board doesn’t understand what sort of equipment I’m referring to?

*shrug* I dunno. Maybe those liners don’t actually provide a barrier between the water, the soap, the feet, and the outside basin. Maybe it all gets through there and festers in the outside basin. I can’t help but think if that’s the case, that there’s no point in the liners at all.

Oh, there isn’t a point! Seeing as how it makes no difference in how the equipment gets used and cleaned.

Yeah, I’ll be sticking with that waterless plan. I don’t see any point in wasting another two gallons of water per pedi to disinfect something that nobody touched.