With Rebecca Taylor-Shaw | Claw Culture Brand Ambassador | Nail Tech | Educator

Hygiene is important in all businesses, but more so within the nail and beauty industry. We can have hundreds of clients passing through our door each week, therefore high standards of hygiene are paramount!

Maintaining good hygiene standards, and following industry guidelines, will prevent the risk of cross contamination. This is often something that clients look out for, as they want to be pampered in a safe, clean environment, and feel content in the fact that their health is being looked after, to the best of our ability.

Within my salon, we follow a checklist each day, to ensure that our whole team are following safe procedures - if you laminate the checklist and use a dry-wipe pen, they can be reused day after day!

Basic salon hygiene products

• Disposable gloves
• Disposable nail files
• Disinfectant for tools and equipment
• Nail and file sanitiser spray
• Antibacterial hand wash
• Antibacterial hand sanitiser
• Paper towels
• Clean towels and linen
• Couch roll or kitchen roll
• Antibacterial surface cleanser
• Disposable cloths
• Antibacterial surface wipes
• Floor cleaner
• Dust Collector

How to avoid cross-contamination of equipment

All equipment should be thoroughly cleaned after each use, and kept in a clean, dry condition when not in use. Nail lamps and lights should also be cleaned after each client. It is best to check with the manufacturers of your equipment to make sure that you are cleaning them effectively, and without causing damage. Also, some councils have specific guidelines that must be followed - these can often be found online. 

Typically, disinfectant and hot soapy water is effective in keeping tools and equipment sterile. I also like to use the Nail and File Cleansing Spray - it helps to protect against Fungus and Bacteria on the nail plate, and sanitises nail files, implements and work surfaces. Barbicide or Mundo are a must for your nail kit - it is an anti-rust formula for stainless steel tools. The ratio for mixing Barbicide/Mundo and water, and the length of time to soak them for, can be found on the bottle, or on the website.

If files are not able to be sanitised, they should be disposed of after each client, or kept aside in an envelope with the clients name on, to reuse on their next appointment. 

Where possible, nail brushes and tools should have lids on, to avoid dust and other materials from contaminating them.

Treating clients with contraindications 

If a client has a fungal or bacterial infection, lifting of the nail plate, or a wound on the area that you are treating, it is best to not treat them. You could check with your insurance company, whether you can treat the client or not, or you could ask the client to get a note from their GP, stating that it is safe to perform the treatment. 

If you treat a client with contraindications, you may increase the risk of cross contamination, or you could make the condition worse. If you don’t feel comfortable performing a treatment, or aren’t sure whether you should or not, it is always ok to say no! Do not put yourself or your reputation at risk.

Personal hygiene within the salon

It is so important that all team members have a good level of person hygiene. As nail and beauty therapists, we are the best adverts for our business, and if we don’t maintain high standards of hygiene for ourselves, them clients may think that we operate business in the same way, which would be incredibly off putting for them. 

Poor personal hygiene can lead to the spread of germs and infections. Keeping nails clean, as well as regularly washing hands, and wearing clean clothes, can prevent the transfer of germs. I always like to wear disposable gloves when treating clients - not only does this prevent the spread of infections, but it can protect us from developing conditions such as eczema, due to irritation from nail dust, as well as preventing allergies developing, due to continual use of products, that may touch the skin.

How to keep the surfaces and floor clean within the salon

It is important to keep the surfaces and floor clean, due to the large number of clients that we see each day. Surfaces, such as the nail desk and chairs should be cleaned after every client. I like to use antibacterial surface wipes or antibacterial surface cleanser. Before using a cleaning product, try it on a small, hidden patch first, to make sure that it is not too strong or abrasive for the surface - if there are cracks or chips in material and surfaces, these can be breeding grounds for germs. Clients love to see therapists maintaining a clean environment. Each day the floor should be swept and mopped, with an appropriate floor cleaner. Each week I like to do a deep clean of the salon, where furniture is moved, the floor is fully hoovered and mopped, and all surfaces, chairs, doors and door handles are disinfected, ready to start the week ahead feeling fresh! 

Ventilation within the salon

As we all know, the products we use can have a harsh smell to them, especially in enclosed areas. It is important to have a well-ventilated work space. Any saturated paper towels and materials should be thrown away into a closed bin. Dust collectors are a great item to have - they collect most of the dust when filing nails, which prevents yourself and your client breathing it in. Dust collectors can also lessen the smell of the products. Where possible, it is good practice to wear a face mask when filing nails and using harsh chemicals and products.

Where to buy products

Most of the products listed above are available on the Claw Culture website: https://clawculture.com

Use discount code REBECCA10 for 10% off all of your Claw Culture orders (exceptions apply, e.g. cannot be used with other money-off offers).