It’s Time to Clean and Unclutter Your Station

Spring has sprung early in Minnesota this year. We have had record-breaking temperatures for this time of year. Our snow melted in just two days — that’s unheard of. With highs near 80 degrees, we feel like it’s summer already. Along with spring comes the need to open windows and clean something, and time to start thinking about yard work.

Have you thought about your spring cleaning yet? What are you going to do first? Are you going to put away your winter sweaters and exchange them for your summer clothes? Will you finally organize that linen closet or clean out the garage? Do you need to match all of your mittens up and put them away with the other cold weather gear? I need to do all of that! I still have my Christmas boxes stacked in the garage — I need to get the ladder out and put them up. I also need to put my sweaters away and get out my capri pants.

As long as you’re spring cleaning, have you thought about your nail station? Do you remember the last time you took everything out of your station, drawers, and cabinets? For most of you, I bet it has been awhile. We tend to get busy, throw our utensils and implements in our drawers and just go on with our day. Day after day, we use the same station and we may not think about doing a deep clean as often as we should. I don’t know about you, but at the end of the day, I just want to bail and get home.

I want you to take a look at your station from the client’s perspective. Start by sitting at your station, not your side, but on the side where your clients sit. Look at your station from their point of view. What is the first thing they see? Do they see tons of bottles and products that clutter your station? Do they see nail clippings, dust, or tip remnants? Are your bottles clean and representing the products you use and sell? Is your lamp and station dusty? These are all common things I see when traveling to salons and working with nail technicians. I see the nitty gritty. I see dust and toenail clippings by the pedicure stations too. YUCK!

Not only is this a sanitation issue, it’s a sure way to lose a client. Here are some tips to help you get started cleaning your station and getting it ready for the busy summer.

> First things first, clean off that dust! Dust, dust, and then dust some more. Nail stations are magnets for dust. Clean off your lamp. Use one of those handheld dusters that can get in the corners and along the cord if needed. Your lamp is typically at eye level and it is the first thing a client sees when sitting at your station. It’s often her first impression of the salon and its cleanliness.

> Wash your bottles and condense them. You should only have a few bottles on your station. Make sure they are the products you use most often — cuticle oil, lotion, polish remover, cuticle softener, etc. Put the products you use occasionally away. Less clutter looks neat and organized.

> Open your drawers and cabinets and organize them. Can your client see inside your drawer when you open it? Typically nail and tip clippings find a home here. Make sure you take everything out of your drawer and wipe it out. If you have small containers to keep your implements organized, wash those too. Organize all of your stuff, so you can find it quickly.

> Clean out your sanitation container on your station. I hope you do this often; the sanitizing liquid should be clear and not cloudy. There is nothing worse that having debris floating in your sanitizer. Not only is it not cleaning your implements, but it will surely make clients question your sanitation.

> Wipe down all of your station — the sides, the surface, and even the top of your garbage can. Make sure you empty your garbage often. The scent of paper towels and cotton soiled with polish remover and professional nail liquids can build up and become overwhelming. Empty your garbage daily.

> Clean up your paperwork. Don’t keep client paperwork out on your station for all to see. This information should not be public information. Use your paperwork to track your numbers daily and then get it out of sight.

> Limit the amount of personal items and pictures on your station. There is nothing wrong with personalizing your station, just keep it limited and clean. You may have your wedding picture out and your client may be getting divorced. This could alter her experience with you. Instead of enjoying her service with you, she now has her life on their mind and it can change the whole experience. Keep your wedding/family/kids’ pictures in your station and pull it put when you want to share it with those clients that you have a rapport with.

Start spring cleaning your station and your clients will see your cleaning standards — one more way to help you stand out above the rest and become the BEST!

— Jill