We’re in the thick of the season … your team is cleaning sunbeds so fast, you feel like you might need a motorized towel on a pole! Make sure that you’re staying on top of this most critical issue: your salon’s sanitation.
Let’s start out with a quick True/False quiz:
1. HIV/AIDS can be transmitted by casual contact with a tanning bed used by a person who has this virus.
2. It is an FDA requirement to clean and sanitize shared eyewear and sunbeds after each use.
3. The sunbed or booth should always be cleaned by the tanner after use.
4. The proper method to clean sunbeds is to pour sanitizing solution directly onto the acrylic surface and wipe with a towel.
5. Paper towel is the best product for wiping the sanitizing solution on the acrylic shield.
Answers: False, False, False, False and False
When I teach the classroom segment of the IST Sun is Life® Certification program, I usually have many people who really get tripped up on questions #2 and #4. It would seem logical that the FDA would mandate eyewear sanitization; however, the FDA’s 21CFR1040.20 largely applies to the manufacturers of sunlamps, booths and beds, rather than salons. State and local regulatory agencies can and often do enforce such a code at the salon level. But let’s venture past the obvious value of sanitizing your salon.
What impact do you think it has on your salon guests and even future customers? Well, it makes a huge impression! Folks come into your salon to remove their clothing and expose their bodies to the warmth of UV light. Always consider the condition in which YOU would want to find that tanning room and sunbed before you lie on it. Make sure you wipe down both acrylic shields, the door knob, fan knob, mirrors, sunbed handles and especially the pillow. If a vinyl pillow is cracked, it can harbor germs – so replace it!
Remember, the last thing your guests want to worry about is whether your facility and equipment are clean. That includes wiping down all areas with which tanners’ hands and feet may come into contact. I’ve actually seen footprints on the top canopy of a sunbed I was using. And no, they were not mine. UGH! Not a good impression at all. Dust build-up on the outer surfaces of the equipment, shelves, artwork on the walls, chairs, etc., should also be cleaned, as well. Check the wastebasket after each tanner (veteran salon owners know why), and discard the contents.
When using the sanitizing agent, DO NOT simply pour it onto the surface of the acrylic. Use a spray bottle and make sure that all of your staff understands how to properly mix the solution. A mixture that is too strong and leaves residue on the bottom acrylic may cause a photosensitizing reaction on some tanners – a very bad situation for them, and for you. Use soft cloths rather than paper towel that can mar the acrylic surface, and use a fresh towel to clean every sunbed, every time.
Oftentimes, potential customers (and current tanners) will make their decision on where to tan based upon cleanliness of the facility. A clean salon – from the lobby to the restrooms – makes a professional and positive first impression. Take pride in that impression and make it happen!
For more on salon sanitization and proper maintenance, check out Sun is Life® Training & Certification today! Visit sunislife.com.
