Have been reading through the forum and find that people are saying they use one sponge per child. I guess they then clean it after the job and use it again on the next job. I have always been concerned with the disease transmission issues associated with face painting - but how can you only use each sponge once?! Please share your procedures and ideas with me. I use Snazaroo paints which tout they have some type of antibacterial in the paint. But one sponge per kid -- how is that feasible if you are painting for 2-3 hrs? THANKS for all your tips and sharing.

your sponges are very small.... I can paint for 8 hours using only one sponge per child. In between gigs you wash them all in extremely hot water. You can use whatever soap or antibacterial agents make you most comfortable. I usually use Vim Oxy Gel since it has Hydrogen Peroxide in it and I'm comfortable with how well that kills germs.... I make sure to rinse them all extremely well so that nothing is left in them for my next gig and make sure that they dry extremely well afterward as moisture is how mold develops. For this reason, I store my clean sponges in a small mesh laundry bag. You can squish this extremely small in your face painting kit as needed and I store wet, used sponges in a plastic container to be washed when I get home.

The most important thing I think is changing your water frequently however. I mean we touch the kids' faces and go back to our water several times before changing our sponge, so there could be any number of things getting into that water. DO NOT however put stuff in your water to kill bacteria... it can mess up your paint, irritate the skin/eyes of the children, and most often won't even help. There ARE things in the paint that help kill off bacteria already and it is safest for the children to just trust in that stuff.

It is totally true though, that they are more likely to catch something just standing in line with eachother than from anything that you do. Keep yourself and your stuff clean for your OWN health and for the professionalism that it shows.

Thanks, Perry! Now another question, if I may... What type/whose small sponge do you use? Along with the Snazaroo paints, I have also been using their nice, round high-density sponges.

i use those cut in half

Sometimes, I think the concerns about the latest pandemic are blown out of proportion. I survived childhood without the modern antibacterial potions and lotions.

I have used one sponge per child and also reused sponges. I do which ever seems the norm for the painters I am working with. If you can do 3-minute faces, that would take 20 sponges per hour (assuming one sponge per child). I don't always need to use a sponge. Half of my sponges are the round ones from Snazaroo or Mehron and half are just round sponges from the craft store for use with stencils. They have all been cut in half to double the number of sponges. I don't think I could afford the brushes if I wanted to use brushes only once.

I think the perception is what is important. If your work area looks messy, then the moms will be concerned about the safety. Keep your supplies looking new by cleaning them as soon as possible after each event.

I have heard some people say that soap can get stuck in the sponges and brushes just like the paints do. Some kids are alergic to the chemicals in soap. I always make a point to rinse my sponges and brushes a second time to make sure I got them clean.