Keeping salons hygienically clean and protecting them from COVID has been a top priority for salon owners to keep premises open and operational, after prolonged periods of lockdown had a devastating impact on the industry.
Salons are high contact environments with a regular flow of people coming in and out, which means there’s a fairly high risk of bacteria and viruses spreading daily. It’s always been important to maintain hygiene in a salon environment, but the COVID pandemic brought this to the fore. Now, more than ever, customers expect to see the highest standards of cleanliness.
As cleaning specialists with nearly 100 years’ experience in designing, manufacturing and distributing cleaning products – Robert Scott has helped countless salon businesses stay clean and safe over the years. Here are five ways to keep salon businesses clean and COVID safe.
Get the right equipment
Cleaning a professional environment is not the same as cleaning the home. Salon managers should invest in the right equipment for their site so they can clean effectively and hygienically at all times. Investing in colour coded mop heads, a selection of cloths suitable for different surfaces and tasks such as dusting or disinfecting, as well as health and safety collateral like ‘wet floor’ signs is the first step. It’s then important to ensure all staff that may be responsible for cleaning are trained in what equipment to use in each area of the salon to avoid any risk of cross-contamination.
Microfibre is your friend
Microfibre cloths are unique in the way they lift dirt and germs off surfaces, without the need for harsh cleaning chemicals. Using microfibre cloths and mop pads will help ensure your surfaces are cleaned thoroughly. You can use them with or without a chemical cleaner, or even just with normal tap water, for fast, efficient cleaning.
Think touch points
‘Touch points’ is the term given to those places in a building which are frequently in contact with human skin – things like lift buttons, light switches and door handles. These are often overlooked when cleaning, but they’re more likely to be carrying bacteria because of the volumes of people using them throughout the day. Make sure that your touch points are cleaned regularly throughout the day with a disinfectant cleaner to keep them safe.
Work top to bottom
Rooms should be cleaned from back to front and top to bottom. That means that you start at the ceiling level of the furthest point from the door and work your way down and out of the room – this is so you don’t tread on newly cleaned areas or spread dirt from cleaning cloths or mop water onto clean surfaces. In each section, start with the cleanest part first and finish with the dirtiest. Taking this approach means you won’t spread dirt around and you’ll clean the entire space – everything from walls to tables, chairs and floors.
Think about your eco footprint
One of the key considerations for salon cleaning is scent. Usually salon owners are very conscious not to introduce strong smelling bleaches or other artificial smells into their environments because they want them to be calm, relaxing spaces. One way to get around this is to use natural cleaning products which don’t have an odour.
