Hygiene has always been a serious matter for public places, with the increased risk of exposure to germs and bacteria that can cultivate on surfaces or even be transmitted through the air. Today, however, there is a heightened awareness of the risks inherent to public spaces; the outset of the coronavirus pandemic saw extensive public health messaging about the dangers of touching surfaces without sanitising one’s hands.
Services and locations that are open to the public have always had to be mindful of cleanliness, something especially true of swimming pools, beauty spas and hairdressers. Each are beholden to health and safety law with regard to the maintenance of a safe, clean and hygienic environment.
If you’re opening a beauty spa, you might be overfaced with the responsibility of ensuring cleanliness and good hygiene practice – but beauty spa hygiene can be easy to administrate, with the following four considerations constituting the main areas of risk to a customer.
Spa and Hot Tub Maintenance
If your beauty spa includes a sauna, bathing spa or hot tub, you will need to institute a robust cleaning schedule. These can provide the perfect breeding ground for microbial organisms, being warm and damp; the water itself can encourage the propagation of germs and bacteria if not treated correctly.
Use pool chorine granules to perform regular shock treatments on any bodies of water, breaking down organic contaminants and removing murk from the water in the process. Regular checks and replacements of any water filters can ensure the safe filtration of debris out of the water, while pH testing can ensure the water’s chemical balance is correct and that bacteria growth is not encouraged.
Laundry
Whether or not you offer bathing or water-based treatments, you will have laundry relating to your practice – from towels for drying off to bed linens for masseuse tables and beyond. These linens can harbour bacteria between uses, and survive for some time nestled in the weave. Washing of linens between every use and at a high temperature can ensure that bacteria is killed, and fabrics are fresh for each customer.
Sterile Tools and Equipment
The tools of your trade are also important to clean on a regular basis and at the very least between customers. Implements and equipment that come into contact with people can receive and transmit pathogens with ease, and in some cases cause infection where the skin is breached. Ultrasonic cleaning baths are the norm for sterilising handheld metal implements, while equipment such as electric razors need to be brushed and oiled between uses.
Personal Hygiene
The final piece of the puzzle is you – or the person administering the treatment. Our hands are frequently in contact with surfaces, making them perfect carriers for microbes; regular handwashing can ensure microbes are not passed on to a customer via touch, or the use of PPE such as nitrile gloves can provide a sterile surface to your skin.
