There is any Covid-19 or any other disease or not, and we have to follow all sanitation and hygiene practices in their Salon/Studio. In my training across India, these points were always on top of any other training. I really feel everyone will take it seriously because of all Covid-19, so I am Thankful for COVID-19 to make this Industry pretty serious about hygiene practices without any excuses.
Why is it so important to maintain standards of hygiene in a beauty salon?
Maintaining high standards of hygiene in your salon is essential to counter the risks of cross-contamination. Whether it’s from yourself, other clients, or dirty tools, fungi, viruses, parasites, and bacteria can easily spread if you don’t do your bit to put a stop to them.
Tools such as combs, scissors, tweezers are prime bidders for cross-contamination – plus, clients would apparently feel a little grossed out if they knew you’d used the same scissors on all clients without cleaning them! Especially post Covid-19, Germs can easily spread between clients this way and cause infections that will make them very unlikely to come back to you. Does anybody want to lose clients at any cost?
The best thing to do is to make cleanliness a priority in the day-to-day running of your salon. You could have a salon hygiene checklist to remind the whole team of the best exercises and train the best ways to keep the salon clean.
Safe and hygienic working practices in a salon…Who is responsible for maintaining a hygienic salon?
It is the responsibility of everyone working within your salon business to practice basic hygiene at the very least. Assure that all hygienic responsibilities, such as sterilizing combs or keeping the floor clean after a client has had a haircut or their nails filed, have been delegated to your stylists, therapists, or salon support staff. We recommend creating a daily duties checklist to assign tasks and to keep a record of when each job has been carried out and by whom. This includes all areas, from the salon floor, to the toilet, the kitchen, the reception area, and everywhere in between. This will ensure that nothing can be forgotten while keeping your salon running efficiently.
Keeping salon furniture clean
It goes without saying that your salon premises should be kept clean and hygienic at all times. Treatment spaces with a high volume of daily use, such as beauty couches and chairs, should be thoroughly cleaned between each client and/or a new covering placed over the surface.
Most salon chairs are made from PVC or vinyl, making them easy to wipe down and clean with disinfectant. However, it is important to make sure you use the right sanitation products. It is worth noting that any disinfectant containing alcohol should be avoided in certain areas. It will react with the PVC or vinyl, making it brittle and eventually causing it to crack. Once you get a broken surface on any material, it is challenging to disinfect it properly, resulting in an area where bacteria can harvest and multiply. We do not want that at any cost.
Alcohol is good in those areas where it will not react with substance and create a crack.
Avoiding cross-contamination of equipment…
Any equipment must be thoroughly cleaned within usage and mustn’t shortcut this procedure at any cost. Tools that come into contact with multiple clients, such as combs, brushes, rollers, clippers, and nail tools, should be repeatedly cleaned between usage and kept clean and dry when they are not required.
Suppose a client comes in who clearly has a bacterial or fungal infection or even a wound on the area you are treating. Not only will they increase cross-contamination risks, but you could also make the situation more unfavorable. However, be careful not to offend or embarrass the client – ask them if they can get advice from a doctor first, as you wouldn’t like to cause them further harm.
We always recommend following the advice on the label of your chosen cleaning solution for any special requirements, though disinfectant and hot water are also effective in keeping tools sterile. Should also wash Towels and other linen regularly as stained, used towels not only look hideous but could also harbor germs if left lying around damp.
Keeping the salon floor clean
With a heavy flow of footfall, the floor of your salon is a colony of activity and therefore needs to remain clean at all times. If fly away nail extensions have gone awol, or a buildup of hair has accumulated around your cutting area, this needs to be cleared away quickly, not only to avoid accidents such as slips and trips but also to avoid accidents such as slips and trips to avoid bacteria spreading from the location to location. At the end of each day, ensure that you undertake an absolute floor clean, ready for the next day!
The importance of personal hygiene in a salon
All salon staff must understand the importance of personal hygiene when working in a hair or beauty salon.
Firstly, it’s important to maintain a professional image that ensures your client is confident visiting you.
Secondly, poor personal hygiene can lead to the spread of bacteria – things like dirty nails and unwashed hands and clothes can harbors germs, potentially transferring to clients.
For some treatments, disposable gloves might be preferable to hand washing alone when it comes to susceptible areas and treatments, such as Facial, waxing, nail extension, eyelash application, and dermaplaning.
It goes without saying that it is your duty to make sure that your staff keeps themselves clean when undertaking treatments from client to client. Simple habits such as ensuring hands are clean, and uniforms are free of any nail shavings or hair are all basic things to help your salon stay hygienic.
Keeping on top of salon sanitation isn’t tasking and is a serious practice to ensure that your salon complies with the necessary regulations. It also ensures that your business looks more appealing and builds trust with your clients as a salon that pays attention to detail.
Salon hygiene products checklist
Do you have everything you need in your salon to maintain safe and hygienic working practices? Check you have the following, and see our full salon hygiene range for more…
- Disinfectant for tools
- Disinfectant jar
- Disposable gloves
- Hand soap and sanitizer entrance and at the exit gate and on all work station
- Clean towels and paper towels
- Antibacterial surface cleaner
- Beauty couch roll or clean covers
- PPE Kit
- Disposable Apron
- Disposable Gowns
- Disposable Bedsheet
Hygiene Checklist For All Staff and Salon Owners to keep in mind
Make sure ‘hard’ re-usable equipment such as tweezers and cuticle knives are sterilized between clients using a glass-bead sterilizer or an autoclave. Please keep in mind that ‘Ultra-violet sterilizers’ DO NOT sterilize. Ultraviolet light has disinfectant properties only.
Hairdressers, barbers, beauticians, and makeup artists must wash their hands before and after attending a client or use a hand sanitizer.
Should wear clean garments at all times during work. If any staff member has a cut or open wound on their hands or fingers, they should cover it with a waterproof sealed dressing.
If the client and/or the hairdresser/barber is accidentally cut, the best practice is to sterilize any instrument such as scissors, which may have blood contamination from an accidental cut.
A management plan should be in place to deal with accidental skin penetrations, and all members of staff should know the details of the plan. Also, every salon must have a basic first-aid kit.
Capes and gowns used for the client’s protection during treatment do not have to be cleaned between each use unless visibly soiled – provided clean neck towels or single-use neck towels are used on each client.
Try to use disposable Gown, Gloves, Capes, Shower cap, Cutting sheet, Bedsheet, Face Mask, etc.
Keep a tab on the expiry date of products and do discard them if they have crossed it. Don’t go by the odor or the look and feel of the products – beauty and makeup products can have the same odor, look and feel even after the expiry date.
Must keep The premises in a clean and hygienic condition at all times. The finish on all surfaces within the salon should be made of materials that are easily cleaned. All surfaces within the salon should be cleaned, at least daily. All waste should be bagged and disposed of daily.
Thoroughly cleanse makeup brushes, sponges, towels, etc., between uses. Should clean all equipment between us, including combs, hair brushes, rollers, streaking caps, clippers, and scissors.
Use disposable products where possible, e.g., disposable strips for waxing, orange sticks and emery boards for manicures, disposable mascara wands, etc. Disposable razors are recommended for shaving.
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