A clean salon is very important in normal circumstances, but now, in the time of a pandemic it is even more essential!
But how clean is clean?
What is necessary and what is too much?
What is the difference between Sanitising, Disinfecting and Sterilising?
The main risk in the salon is cross contamination, either from the practitioner to client, or from client to client.
This is why it's so important to wash hands thoroughly between clients, and properly clean and discard tools.
Dropping tools in Barbicide is not enough, in fact it is only one step of the whole cleaning process.
But let's take a look at the different stages:
Sanitising: This refers to the processes of keeping the environment clean, safe and healthy, by removing any debris and washing with soap and water.
In the salon, this means making sure nail files are used only on one person, either binning the file after each client or keeping them in separate envelopes for everyone (of course after cleaning them), not leaving tools lying around, frequent hand washing, ensuring salon wear is clean and so on.
When it comes to cleaning salon tools, sanitation means washing them with warm water and soap, removing all visible dirt and product buildup with a brush before moving on to disinfecting them. If proper sanitation is not followed, bacteria and virus can breed very quickly.
Sanitation is more for living surfaces, such as hands.
Disinfecting: Disinfection kills most, but not all, bacteria and fungi present on the surface of the tools. Disinfecting kills 99% of all bacteria, fungi and virus.
Not all disinfectants have the same level of effectiveness and they won’t be able to destroy highly resistant bacterial spores or viruses.
Disinfectants also need to be used properly in order to do their job thoroughly, this means following the instructions given by the manufacturer, such as leaving the tools in the solution for up to 15 minutes, not longer, not less, if that is what the manufacturer suggests.
Salon disinfection is a step that is the least what a technician should do.
Tools should always be sanitized and disinfected between every client to prevent the spread of bacteria.
Many salons choose to use Barbicide solution to disinfect their tools. However, this alone is not enough for thorough cleanliness of tools.
Sterilising: This is the strongest form of cleaning, and can only be done on tools, not on the skin. Sterilising kills all microorganisms present, including the spores.
Sterilization removes all forms of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, including their spores.
This is most important for tools that have been used when the skin the barrier has been broken, such as in a medical setting.
For most salons, sterilization isn’t necessary on a day-to-day basis. However, if for any reason the tools do come into contact with wounds, blood or an infected area of skin, you would want to fully sterilise the tools involved.
What are the steps of Proper and Thorough cleaning of tools?
You can also watch this video on my Facebook page, that shows how I clean and store my metal tools in the salon.
To properly clean and disinfect nail tools, the step-by-step process should look like this:
Sanitising all reusable tools by washing them in soapy water.
Drying them with a clean towel or paper towel.
Letting them soak in disinfectant for at least 10 minutes, but up to 20 minutes, to avoid getting rusty.
Drying them with a clean towel or paper towel.
Either placing the tools in an envelope ready for the next client or place them in a steriliser, such as a high heat autoclave.
After sterilising, leave the tools in the steriliser or place them in an envelope or sterilising pouches, ready for the next client.
Let's break these steps down a bit further:
Start by placing the tools (metal tools, such as scissors, cuticle pusher, e-file bits, nipper, etc) in warm/hot soapy water (either in a bowl or in the sink), and get a clean and dry brush for scrubbing the dust and debris away. When done, rinse them off and dry them with a clean towel or fresh paper towel.
This part is crucial, because if you don't remove the debris, the bits of dirt and dust will stop the disinfectant being effective, as it cannot penetrate through the dirt.
Once sanitised and completely dry, it is time to disinfect the nail tools. They have to be completely immersed in a disinfectant solution that should be at least 70% isopropyl or ethyl alcohol (e.g. Barbicide, Mundo).
Storing clean and disinfected tools right is important too. Airtight plastic boxes and bags can become breeding grounds for bacteria. It’s better to simply line a clean draw with some paper towels and place the tools there – remembering not to cross contaminate them with unclean tools - or store them only in paper bags or envelopes.
The majority of the time, thorough disinfection is enough for nail and beauty tools without the need for sterilisation.
However, if the tools ever come into contact with blood or bodily fluids, they need to be sterilised straight away. There are some other scenarios that would require sterilising nail tools, such as to minimise the risk of transmitting Covid-19.
The first two step (sanitising and disinfecting) is crucial, then sterilising is the cherry on top.
You can then place them in an appropriate steriliser, such as: UV light, Moist heat or Dry heat sterilisers.
Once sterilised, the sterilising unit can be used to store the cleaned tools until the next use, or they can be placed in sterilising pouches, of course, doing so with gloves on.
Can nail files and buffers be cleaned or should they be discarded after every client?
Nail files and buffers need to be disinfected too, if they are not single use. The same process should still apply – removing all the dust, washing them and applying a disinfectant for the required amount of time.
If the file can’t completely be submerged in disinfectant, then the disinfectant can be sprayed directly onto the surface instead.
Here is a thorough explanation about proper cleaning and disposal of different tools in the salon: Click here for Pro Beauty's guide
"Some disinfectants are designed for use on hard-surfaces while others are best used on porous or absorbent items. EPA-registered Hospital disinfectants are good examples of a type that is suitable for hard surfaces such as metal, glass, fiberglass or plastic. Isopropyl alcohol and ethyl alcohol (70 – 90%) are suitable for porous/absorbent items such as scrub brushes for nails, cushioned abrasive files, buffers and blocks." - source is nailfile.com
Nail Table and Working Area
Of course, the table should be clean and disinfected as well. Removing all dust, binning paper towels, lint-free wipes and single use files, also wiping the table with disinfectant spray and a washable cloth or paper towel between each client.
If a plexi screen is used, then both sides should be wiped down with disinfectant too.
There are different types of surface and tool sprays for this purpose.
I also like to wipe the floor under the table between each client, and cleaning the whole floor thoroughly after the last client, ready for the next day.
A dust collector is very important, as dust particles can carry infections. Also, dust is messy, and you don't want to breath in chemicals day in day out.
Furniture, such as client chairs should be cleaned and wiped down regularly, between each client. However, alcohol based disinfectant on a chair should not be used, especially if it's made of PVC or vinyl. If a furniture is not possible to disinfect, because it's made of fabric, then a cover should be used on top.
Hand Washing and PPE
We've heard this many many times in 2020 "wash your hands!" and it really is very important! For both the technician and the client.
The technician should wash and sanitise hands before and after every client, and the client should wash and sanitise too before the service.
Personal Protective Equipment is crucial, especially now! Face masks, face shield or goggles, washable or single use apron and gloves (if not wearing gloves, hand sanitiser must be used regularly throughout the service).
These equipments were necessary even before 2020, but now, these are must haves!
The way of putting on PPE impacts effectiveness. If the equipment is specified as being single use, it should only be used once and then put in the bin. It should also be changed safely between clients.
Here is a guide from the government's website on how to properly put on and remove PPE:
In short:
Wash hands thoroughly before picking up PPE.
Face covering should be put on first, ensuring it's covering the bridge of the nose down to the bottom of the chin.
Gloves should be put on last.
When finished, gloves have to be removed first by peeling off from the cuff and place in the bin.
Wash hands or use alcohol or hand gel thoroughly before removing the face covering and placing it in the bin.
Wash your hands thoroughly again.
We should consciously make sure not to touch our face, even while wearing PPE in the salon.
The best thing to do is make hygiene a priority on a day-to-day basis.
A salon hygiene checklist is a great idea to remind the whole team of best practices and give training on the best ways to keep the salon clean.