The Importance Of Salon Hygiene

The Importance Of Salon Hygiene

A successful salon business is reliant on having a good reputation.

A substantial part of that reputation will come down to the hygiene and cleanliness of your salon.

This is not only to ensure that your customers are kept safe but also that their experience makes them feel comfortable, relaxed, special and pampered. That is not easy to achieve if their eyes are drawn to clutter, dirt, dust and grime.

I mean, does a dirty environment make you feel special?

There's more though, salon hygiene is not just a 'want' it's a need. We'll detail below why salon hygiene is necessary to keep your clients safe, to keep you acting within the law, to keep your salon staff happy and healthy AND make your salon run more smoothly.

Client Safety

Within a salon environment, there is a lot of potential for cross-contamination.

Multiple clients together with multiple tools and the intimate nature of the treatments offered across the hair and beauty industry mean that bacteria, germs, viruses, infections, parasites and fungi can be easily spread from one customer to another if the utmost importance isn't placed on hygienic working practices.

Legal Requirements

There are 2 main pieces of legislation you need to consider within the hair and beauty industry when it comes to salon hygiene and cleanliness. These are:

  • The Health and Safety at Work Act (1974) This law sets confirms that you as a salon owner have a duty of care to keep everybody in your salon (workers and customers) as safe from accident, injury and disease as possible.
  • COSHH (The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) Regulations (2022). This regulation is around ensuring the safe storage and use of products which can cause harm including many of the substances used in salons such as dyes, nail polish, acetone and cleaning products.

Staff Health

As a business owner ensuring that your staff are safe is not only your legal responsibility but makes good financial sense too.

Ensuring good hygiene in your salon not only helps to ensure that staff illness and injury is prevented. Studies have shown that a clean, hygienic and well-organised work environment also makes for a happier work environment. Employees are more motivated, have higher levels of concentration and improved mental well-being in a neat, tidy and hygienic environment.

Keeping The Entire Salon Clean & Organised

The following are some tips for keeping your salon as clean and hygienic as possible to protect your staff and clients and to ensure it looks inviting and luxurious.

  • Invest in good quality salon furniture to help keep everything organised, easy to find and uncluttered.
  • Keep track of your salon hygiene products and have a system in place to do so to make sure you never run out of essential cleaning tools, products and personal protective equipment (PPE) such as disposable gloves.
  • Promote good personal hygiene among your staff and customers; consider signs reminding people to wash their hands, paper towels instead of reusable towels in the toilets and easily accessible hand sanitiser for example.
  • Follow best practice guidelines to prevent cross contamination; ensure that towels are not re-used without being laundered, that salon tools are disinfected between each use, that there is adequate sterilising equipment to do so, and that all staff are practising hand washing and changing PPE in between performing treatments.
  • Have systems such as task lists in place and allow adequate time for salon staff to perform essential cleaning tasks such as sweeping away visible debris on salon floors, wiping down work surfaces, throughout the working day as well as a deep cleaning including the laundering of used towels in hot water and wiping down of door handles with disinfectant at the end of each day.

Conclusion

By prioritising high standards of hygiene within your salon and among your staff you will not only help to ensure that your clients have a good experience and want to return but also help your staff to stay happy and healthy.