Salon Cleaning and Disinfection (Covid-19 Update)

Why Barbershop & Salon Cleaning Matter

Understanding your top priorities for salon cleaning and disinfection is more than just good business: it’s good hygiene and good sense!

There are plenty of reasons why cleaning and disinfecting are essential to the success of any salon or barbershop [1]. Chief among them are:

1. Appropriate barbershop and salon cleaning ensures that the space is (and stays) safe, healthy, and comfortable for clients and staff.
2. Having high standards for salon cleaning practices helps maintain the credibility and public image of your brand.
3. Using high-quality and specially-designed barbershop and salon cleaning products and specialty barbers disinfectants can extend the useful life of furniture, products, and equipment (lowering costs for the business and increasing profits at the end of the day).

What’s The Difference Between Cleaning & Disinfecting?

Salon disinfectant and cleaning products, practices, and regulations are very different, but both are equally important to the success of any salon or barbershop. Generally speaking, what you’re trying to build through these actions is largely the same (better health and safety, credibility and public image, and equipment functionality). But the big difference between salon cleaning and salon disinfecting has to do with what you’re trying to break down:

• Cleaning: reducing to acceptable levels (or eliminating) soil and organic build-up, scale, abrasive contaminants, grease, and chemical residue or accumulations; can also apply to every day “tidying” activities, which aim to remove garbage, clutter, and other potential hazards.
• Disinfecting: reducing to acceptable levels (or eliminating) vegetative cells of pathogens, sporforming or non-sporforming bacteria, and other undesirable microorganisms.

This difference between the targeted contaminants you’re trying to remove via salon cleaning and salon disinfectant processes is significant; it makes it possible to accomplish one but not the other.

using the most-recommended alcohol based cleaning solutions can cause drying, cracking, splitting, and discoloration.

Best Practices For Cleaning & Disinfecting Procedures of Salons/Barbershops

Because the targeted contaminants you’re trying to remove are different and pose different risks to clients, staff, and the business’s bottom line, the best cleaning/disinfectant practices are also different. The best barbershop and salon cleaning practices involve manual/mechanical cleaning — like sweeping, brushing, rinsing, wiping down, and organizing/disposing — of different products/byproducts, equipment, and surfaces [2]. By contrast, salon disinfectant procedures are more time- and energy-intensive, requiring the application of appropriate salon disinfectant products (like barbers disinfectant and hospital-grade disinfectant for salon and barbershop contexts) [2].

In both cases, different cleaning/disinfectant processes should occur at various points throughout the workday [3, 4]. As a result, many salon cleaning checklists suggesting the following salon cleaning/disinfectant schedule:

• At least once every day or even between clients: general sweeping/dusting and bathroom cleaning, launder soiled towels and capes; take out garbage; clean product residue build-up off furniture with a damp cloth. [13]
• Before/after every client: sweep up hair clippings, tidy station, disinfect all combs, brushes, clips, clippers, and other equipment (anything that has touched the client); clean and disinfect shampoo bowls, etc.

The Best Barbershop & Salon Cleaning Supplies

When adhering to these (and similar) salon cleaning checklists, it’s important to always use high-quality and effective salon cleaning products and specialized disinfectants for salon use.

There’s plenty of jargon in the industry for barbershop and salon cleaning supplies (and “hospital grade” and “eco-friendly” labels are important). Nevertheless, it is critical that whatever salon cleaning products you choose are safe for staff and client exposure, effective, and formulated for use in a salon context/safe for use on your specific salon equipment.

For example, we, The Salon Chair Guys, sell eco-friendly, effective, specialized salon cleaning products that are not only great for pre-cleaning salon furniture before disinfection but also great for your clients' health and safety (pet-friendly, child-friendly, non-toxic, and plant-based). That’s because our branded salon cleaning supplies have no odor, are non-drying, and don't leave any residue. What’s more, that makes them the perfect between client products to set your salon or barbershop up for success!

There are a lot of different types of disinfectants for salons you can (and should!) use after cleaning, since cleaning mostly serves to remove dirt that could protect germs and bacteria from chemical disinfectants for salon equipment. Whichever types of disinfectant for salons or barbers disinfectants you use, they must be EPA-registered and have demonstrated bactericidal, fungicidal, and virucidal activity [5]. Moreover, you (and your staff) must use them according to manufacturer's instructions.

A Note About Cleaning/Disinfecting PVC And PU Vinyl

A lot of the most-cleaned surfaces in salons/barbershops are made of categorically hard-to-clean materials.

PVC and PU Vinyl, for example, are some of the most popular materials for salon chairs, couches, and shampoo station seats. Yet when it comes to salon cleaning and disinfecting procedures, doing what you need to (between-client cleaning and disinfection) can lead to “early failure” [6]. That is, using the most-recommended alcohol-based cleaning solutions can cause drying, cracking, splitting, and discoloration. That makes it doubly important that salon and barbershop owners invest in salon-specific (and material-specific) salon cleaning supplies and disinfectants for salon purposes! (See our post “How Do You Remove Hairspray From A Salon Chair?” for more information).

COVID-19 GENERAL INFORMATION & PRECAUTIONS

* A virus is not a living organism. It is a protein molecule (DNA) covered by a protective layer of lipid (fat), which, when absorbed by the cells of the ocular, nasal or buccal mucosa, changes their genetic code (mutation) and turn them into aggressor and multiplier cells [8].

* Since the virus is not a living organism but a protein molecule, it is not killed, but it decays on its own. The disintegration time depends on the temperature, humidity and type of material where it lies [9].

* The virus is very fragile, the only thing that protects it is a thin outer layer of fat. That is why any soap or detergent is the best remedy, because the foam CUTS the FAT (that is why it is necessary to rub so much for 20 seconds or more, to make a lot of foam). By dissolving the fat layer, the protein molecule disperses and breaks down on its own [7] [11].

* HEAT melts fat, that is why it is so good to use water above 25 degrees Celsius (77 degrees F) to wash hands, clothes and everything. Also, the hot water makes more foam and As already mentioned, making more foam is good.

* Alcohol or any mixture with alcohol over 65% DISSOLVES ANY FAT, especially the outer lipid layer of the virus [7].

* Any mix with 1 part bleach and 5 parts water directly dissolves the protein, breaks it down from the inside [10] [11].

* Oxygenated water is next after soap, alcohol, and chlorine because peroxide dissolves the virus’s protein, but it must be used pure... and this damages the skin [11].

* BACTERICIDES DO NOT WORK. The virus is not a living organism like bacteria, you cannot kill something that is not alive with antibiotics, but rather quickly disintegrate its structure with the methods mentioned earlier [11].

* NEVER shake used or unused clothing, sheets or cloth.

* While attached to a porous surface, the virus is very inert and will survive for 3 hours.

* Will survive for ~4 hours in copper (because copper has natural antiseptic properties); and wood (because wood removes all the moisture and does not let it peel off and then, it disintegrates)

* ~ 24 hours on cardboard

* ~ 42 hours on metal, such as stainless steel and,

* 48-72 hours on plastic [12]

* But if you shake it or use a feather duster, the virus will become airborne and can survive for up to 3 hours... during that period it can lodge in your nose.

* The virus will be very stable in outside low temperatures, or artificial cooling indoors, such as in air conditioned houses and cars. They also need moisture to stay stable, and especially need darkness. Therefore, dehumidified, dry, warm and bright environments will degrade it faster.

* Shining UV LIGHT over any object that may contain it breaks down the virus protein. For example, it is perfect to use UV for disinfecting a mask for re-use. Be careful, UV also breaks down collagen (which is protein) in the skin, eventually causing wrinkles and skin cancer. (This being said, sunlight is the perfect source for ultraviolet light, therefore leading as much sunlight in your house as possible will speed up the death of the virus, The same way ultraviolet light and sunlight kills tuberculosis) [7]

* The virus CANNOT go through healthy skin.

* Vinegar is NOT useful because it does not break down the protective layer of fat.

* NO SPIRITS, NOR VODKA, will work. The strongest vodka is 40% alcohol, and you need 65% [11].

* The more confined the space, the more concentration of the virus is possible. The more open or naturally ventilated, the less.

* This is said repeatedly, but you have to wash your hands before and after touching mucous membranes, food, locks, knobs, switches, remote control, cell phone, watches, computers, desks, TV, etc. And when using the bathroom.

* You have to HUMIDIFY DRY HANDS after so much washing them, because the molecules can hide in the skin cracks. The thicker the moisturizer, the better.

Hope you find this information helpful .