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This month’s Sun is Life Training & Certification topic is salon sanitation – an important topic covered at length in the SIL program module entitled, “A Little Dirty Talk.”
Let’s start with a quick True/False quiz*:
1. HIV/AIDS can be transmitted by casual contact with tanning beds from people who have the virus.
2. It is an FDA requirement to clean and sanitize sunbeds after each use.
3. The sunbed or booth should always be cleaned first by the customer.
4. Protective eyewear must be cleaned and sanitized after each tanning session.
5. State and/or local regulatory agencies may mandate protective eyewear and sunbed/booth sanitization standards.
When I teach the classroom segment of Sun is Life Training, there are typically many students who answer question No. 2 incorrectly. It would seem logical that the FDA would mandate a practice such as sunbed sanitization; however, the FDA’s 21 CFR1040.20 largely relates to the manufacturers of sunlamps, booths and beds, rather than tanning salon operation. 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 cleanliness makes on your guests and even future customers?
Well, it makes a huge impression. Folks who come into your salon must remove clothing in order to bask in the warm UV light of a tanning system. So, make sure your “room cleaning list” includes using an approved sanitizing product to wipe down both the bottom and top sunbed acrylic shields, the tanning room doorknobs, fan knobs, handles, mirrors and especially sunbed pillows. If the vinyl on the pillow is cracked, replace it. Remember, the last thing your guests want to worry about is whether or not the equipment and tanning room have been sanitized! That includes wiping down all areas with which a tanner’s hands and feet may come into contact.
I remember visiting a salon during my travels around North America and seeing footprints on the canopy acrylic shield of the sunbed I was using. Not a good impression at all. I wasn’t sure if the canopy was too hard to raise and they needed to use their feet, or what! Dust build-up on the outer surfaces of the equipment, shelves, artwork, chairs, etc. should also be cleaned, as well. Check the waste basket after each session (veteran salon operators know why) and discard the contents. When it comes to the sanitizing agent, make sure that all of all your staff understands the proper mixing and dilution processes. Use soft cloths for cleaning rather than paper towels that can mar the acrylic surface. I covered this issue last month under “photosensitivity” – if the solution is too strong and leaves residue on the bottom acrylic, it could have a photosensitizing effect on some tanners whose skin comes into contact with it. Many times, potential customers decide where to tan based upon a facility’s cleanliness (or lack thereof).
So, how clean is your salon? If you have to wipe down the tanning systems and vacuum the rugs twice a day, do it! A truly clean salon makes an incredible first impression. Take pride in that impression and make it happen.
*Answers: F, F, F, T, T
