Coffee service items
Use disposable cups or wash used ceramic mugs with high heat in the dishwasher. The same goes for utensils. Disinfect the carafes between brewing. If vending machines are used, disinfect the buttons and levers.
Books and magazines
Paper is absorbent and can harbor germs. It’s difficult to clean so rotate the reading materials and toss them in the recycling bin regularly.
Door handles
To curb the build-up of disease-causing pathogens, wipe any door handles or push plates several times a day with a disinfecting wipe.
Telephones/writing instruments
Wipe with a disinfecting cloth. Increase frequency during cold and flu season.
Paper money
OK, cleaning it might not be easy, so use your credit/debit card — less people touch it.
Computer keyboards
Purchase a “keyboard skin” to cover keys and make cleaning easier. Wipe down with disinfectant.
Purses
Keep an eye out for the places where clients perch their handbags and disinfect those surfaces frequently. The bottom of a woman’s handbag collects everything from germs to fecal matter from the ladies’ room floor. Ewwww.
Pedicure thrones
To banish bacteria from the jetted, recirculating-style units, pre-clean with antibacterial soap and water before disinfecting. The screens must be removed according to the manufacturer’s guidelines and interior portions cleaned before rinsing and refilling with a disinfecting solution. The disinfecting solution should be recirculated for the kill time specified by the disinfectant manufacturer. Seating surfaces should be wiped down with a disinfectant.
Polish bottles and retail items that are picked up frequently
Bacteria can hitch a ride from client to client. Wipe them down with a disinfecting wipe.
Files and implements
Pre-clean with soap and water, then disinfect (subject to state laws).
Nail tables
Clean the nail table surface, drawer pulls, and lamp handles before and after each client with a disinfectant. Don’t forget to wash your hands with soap and water between clients as well.
Don't forget the bathroom. Toilets, towels, and sinks all need to be cleaned.
Toilets
Disinfect surfaces. Don’t forget the flush handle. Decrease the spread of disease-causing pathogens by closing the lid before flushing.
Towels
Wash towels with detergent in hot water. Use paper towels where possible.
Sneezes and coughs
Don’t cover a cough or sneeze with your hand. Get used to turning away or using the crook of your arm. The less you touch your face the fewer germs you expose yourself to.
Jewelry
The tiny spaces in jewelry and under rings can harbor pathogens. Remove jewelry and wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Dry hands with a clean towel or air drier. Thoroughly disinfect jewelry or skip it to reduce germs.
Coffee service items
Use disposable cups or wash used ceramic mugs with high heat in the dishwasher. The same goes for utensils. Disinfect the carafes between brewing. If vending machines are used, disinfect the buttons and levers.
Books and magazines
Paper is absorbent and can harbor germs. It’s difficult to clean so rotate the reading materials and toss them in the recycling bin regularly.
Door handles
To curb the build-up of disease-causing pathogens, wipe any door handles or push plates several times a day with a disinfecting wipe.
Telephones/writing instruments
Wipe with a disinfecting cloth. Increase frequency during cold and flu season.
Paper money
OK, cleaning it might not be easy, so use your credit/debit card — less people touch it.
Computer keyboards
Purchase a “keyboard skin” to cover keys and make cleaning easier. Wipe down with disinfectant.
Purses
Keep an eye out for the places where clients perch their handbags and disinfect those surfaces frequently. The bottom of a woman’s handbag collects everything from germs to fecal matter from the ladies’ room floor. Ewwww.
Pedicure thrones
To banish bacteria from the jetted, recirculating-style units, pre-clean with antibacterial soap and water before disinfecting. The screens must be removed according to the manufacturer’s guidelines and interior portions cleaned before rinsing and refilling with a disinfecting solution. The disinfecting solution should be recirculated for the kill time specified by the disinfectant manufacturer. Seating surfaces should be wiped down with a disinfectant.
Polish bottles and retail items that are picked up frequently
Bacteria can hitch a ride from client to client. Wipe them down with a disinfecting wipe.
Files and implements
Pre-clean with soap and water, then disinfect (subject to state laws).
Nail tables
Clean the nail table surface, drawer pulls, and lamp handles before and after each client with a disinfectant. Don’t forget to wash your hands with soap and water between clients as well.
Don't forget the bathroom. Toilets, towels, and sinks all need to be cleaned.
Toilets
Disinfect surfaces. Don’t forget the flush handle. Decrease the spread of disease-causing pathogens by closing the lid before flushing.
Towels
Wash towels with detergent in hot water. Use paper towels where possible.
Sneezes and coughs
Don’t cover a cough or sneeze with your hand. Get used to turning away or using the crook of your arm. The less you touch your face the fewer germs you expose yourself to.
Jewelry
The tiny spaces in jewelry and under rings can harbor pathogens. Remove jewelry and wash hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Dry hands with a clean towel or air drier. Thoroughly disinfect jewelry or skip it to reduce germs.
You might be ready to put flu season and the hyper-vigilance behind you, but before you do, consider the places that some nasty bacteria and viruses hang out waiting to make a comeback.
CLEANLINESS DEFINED
Sanitize: Cleans and reduces the number of pathogens on a surface.
Disinfect: Kills most disease-causing pathogens on pre-cleaned surfaces. All implements must be disinfected before use. Disinfection is appropriate for most non-porous, hard surfaces. It is best achieved with an EPA-registered, hospital-grade disinfectant.
Sterilize: Kills all living organisms on a surface. Sterilization is not required in most cases. Check your state laws to determine if it is required in your salon. The sterilization method used most in salons is autoclaving.
For ways to fight contamination, visit www.cdc.gov or your state board’s website. Many thanks to the dedicated people at the Centers for Disease Control who took time during this busy flu season to point us in the right direction. They have many resources for businesses fighting germs.
Illustration by Yuiko Sugino
Text by Erin Snyder Dixon
For reprint and licensing requests for this article, Click here.
media brand