Keeping Up with Wax Salon Sanitation
Salon sanitation is extremely important, and not just for the health and safety of your clients (though that should be your top priority!).
Practicing proper salon sanitation means protecting yourself and your business. Performing regular salon cleaning and maintenance will also keep your business functioning at its highest level.
Having a salon environment that is clean and sanitary will not only put your clients at ease in knowing that you make their safety a top priority but will build their confidence in you as an esthetician as well.
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, professionals have changed and upgraded a lot of their salon cleaning practices to keep everybody safe. As the world has reopened and guidelines have scaled back, however, many cleaning measures are here to stay - and for good reason.
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If you’re looking for ways to step up your disinfection game, you might need to relearn things you might have been doing for years and even use some new technology to keep your salon in its best shape.
In this article, we'll talk about how to freshen up on cleaning your wax pot, waxing kit, and wax accessories, as well as why adding even more hygienic methods to how you use pre-wax care, after-wax care, and stripless hard wax is a good idea. Read on to learn more about things you can do to keep up with wax salon sanitation.
READ: Tips for Reducing Your Salon Product Costs
Why Salon Sanitation is Important
When looking for ways to upgrade your salon’s sanitation practices, you can use the resources provided by the Center for Disease Control & Prevention’s website to see which areas of your business you should be paying the most attention to, and for a sanitation to-do list for the whole salon.
These guidelines can keep you on track not only for salon sanitation etiquette, but with light switches, doorknobs, and cabinet hardware as well. Check your state's post-COVID-19 guidelines regarding your business type for all of the lawful disinfection methods to take as well.
Another great resource is the EPA's list of disinfectants for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.
Though many guidelines regarding COVID-19 have lifted, keeping your salon sanitized and lowering the risk of transmission is still just as important. You can also take online COVID-19 sanitation courses like the one offered by Barbecide to ensure you’re at the top of your sanitation game.
Courses like these can take less than an hour and provide a certificate that you can display inside your spa to let your clients know that you are on top of their safety.
Also be sure to use salon sanitizing products like Esthie Shield Hand Sanitizer
READ: How to Increase Salon Clientele in the Current Economy
Salon Cleaning Tips
While we're not going to teach you how to clean your wax warmer in this article (though we do have resources regarding that topic), we do want to encourage going back to basics and giving you a refresh on basic salon cleaning tips to keep your salon in its best condition for your clients.
If you want to make sure that you’re doing all you can do to keep salon sanitation after services and before services as up to par as possible, try to revisit the safety manuals of your products or do some online research regarding everyday things like setting up your station or how to clean your wax warmer to see if there’s anything regarding these basic measures that you can brush up on.
Ramping up your daily routine even for something you have done a thousand times can help you stay accountable to yourself and your clients.
Always set aside time for a complete cleaning training session for you and your team on all of the updated protocols, whether they’re new or existing employees. You can also include these measures in your new hire materials and require signatures from your staff to let them know how serious you are about your standards.
Ensure their safety by providing all necessary protective wear and supplies. As a team, you can practice by doing mock services and check out the cleaning time differences after using hard wax vs. soft wax, for example, so that you can see how much time is needed in-between bookings to disinfect your space safely.
READ: How to Find the Best Waxing Salon
Sanitation Before Services
As you might have guessed, certain default sanitation procedures have changed a lot since the onset of the pandemic back in 2020. Odds are, since then you’ve changed up how you clean and disinfect your wax salon when you arrive in the morning, post client, and before it's time to lock up. Basically anywhere that’s frequently touched requires a little extra care and attention to detail.
Take a look around the entire salon, including the break room, office, or anywhere that you notice is frequented by yourself, your esthies, or your customers, and make sure to wipe each area down often.
From computers to a calculator, it's time to itemize what needs to be cleaned, how often, and when. Create a cleaning schedule and find a plan that ensures you and your employees follow it with documentation charts. Make sure there is enough time between each client to sanitize your space thoroughly.
Pay extra attention to:
- Chairs/beds including the headrests and armrests
- Counters
- Bathroom facilities after each use
- Handles and doorknobs
Before each waxing service you provide, you should also always take care to have a routine and process set up to completely sanitize your station. Though COVID-19 remains a concern, keep in mind that bacteria or other viruses could easily be spread if you’re not vigilant in your cleaning regimens.
Always ensure that yourself and your fellow estheticians are always following protocols for wearing gloves and sanitizing your hands during every appointment to keep yourself safe from diseases like monkeypox, which can be spread through touching skin.
Before your client arrives at your salon for their appointment, there are certain protocols to follow before moving ahead with a service. These include:
- Wiping down and sanitizing your spa bed/table.
- Clean and sanitize any frequently touched controls on your warmer.
- Sanitize any tools or utensils that will be used during your service. Wipe down your pre and post-wax care bottles as well before handling them.
- Ensure that all bags or containers of products are sealed before usage.
- Ensure that all employees wash hands thoroughly and use gloves during all services.
Here are some sanitation tips to practice daily in your salon throughout the day:
- Wipe down and sanitize all counters, tables, and surfaces.
- Wipe down and keep reception desk and waiting area clean and sanitized.
- Deep clean any instruments or utensils used in your salon.
- Windex any windows or mirrors you might have.
- Take out trash daily and empty bins from each of your suites.
- Make sure paper products (toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, etc.) are replaced daily.
- Deep clean all restrooms daily.
- Sweep, vacuum, and mop reception area floors, hallways, suite floors, and bathroom floors daily.
- Deep clean all bathroom counters, surfaces, toilets, etc. every day.
- Organize and sanitize magazines or any materials in the waiting area.
- Wipe down all seating in the waiting area.
Sanitation Apps for Salons
To keep themselves accountable and to ensure sanitation procedures are followed daily, many salons have begun using apps to track their regular routines, including ones like Safety Scan.
Safety Scan is an app that uses QR codes on digital tags that businesses can place on surfaces to track their sanitization statuses in real-time. A client, employee, or employer can scan the digital tag with their smart device to document or receive a report on sanitation measures given to that surface, and can request for an additional round of sanitation to be performed prior to services if necessary.
READ: How to Start a Waxing Business in 2022
How to Clean Up After Waxing Services
Keeping your salon and individual rooms clean and sanitized once your clients have left is just as important as preparing them properly before their arrival. Once your client has left after their waxing services, sanitize your spa bed, counters, door handles, and your warmer.
Always take precautions against cross-contamination in your salon, and never use things like spatulas or roll-on wax cartridges twice or for multiple services. Additionally, clean your bathrooms and waiting areas (anywhere frequented by clients or staff, really) as much as possible to keep everybody safe - especially clients with freshly waxed skin!
READ: Best Esthetician Services to Offer Clients
Final Thoughts
Please don't be shy about letting your clients know how hard you work to keep them safe. Shout all of the measures and precautions you're taking from the digital rooftops.
Whether on your website, your newsletter, or social media posts, keep your clients informed and accountable for what you're trying to achieve with your daily safety and cleaning protocols and always keep up with your wax salon sanitation so that they know you’re not only committed to giving them their best waxes, but to keeping them safe as well.
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