Bag the tattoo machine or not?

I have a question regarding the practice of bagging the tattoo machine. It seems to me that is the sanitary thing to do. However, there seems to be much footage or photos of tattoo artists (often enough pretty well known names too) who don't put a bag on the machine...sometimes they'll just cover the power cord that leads to the machine. So just to clarify for myself...is bagging the machine absolutely necessary, and if not, how is a sterlized machine guaranteed? Thanks in advance!

Bagged or not, the machine itself isn't sterile. Bagged machines are probably only marginally safer it seems to me. If you need to adjust your machine, you'll end up touching it anyway. I don't really feel a machine needs to be bagged if it's cleaned before and after use and you change gloves for adjustments. Then again, I'm a newbie so what do I know?

That's why you bag the machine. If you need to touch the rubber bands you can do it with the bag on so you don't touch the frame. If you need to touch the wingnut then you dispose your gloves and put new ones. Once you are done you dispose the bag and clean the machine with your favorite cold sterilization product. I never bagged my machines before but I started using them recently for every tattoo I do.

We use machine bags, helps cut down on the ink spitting up on it.I get to take apart and clean my mentors machines daily SO one could argue against using the bags,but every extra barrier helps....Machinhes should be tuned before the procedure....but some elastics are loser than others and small things do need to be adjusted from time to time....Elastics should be changed after every client also,If u use nipples (more of a gromit guy myself) they should be whiped down with a q tip and 100% after each client aswell.