Often times seemingly helpful, cost-driven how-to articles about cocktailing and making your own cleaning solutions with a little vinegar and a pleasant smelling essential oil seem like a great way to save both money and be more in control of the chemicals entering your salon or spa. There recently stated popping up a number of how-to articles in making your own tanning bed cleaner, but the problem is that these home grown concoctions do very little to eliminate viruses, bacteria and increase the risks to clients lying in your tanning beds.
A Word of Tanning Bed Cleaning
Cleaning your tanning bed is as important as washing your linens or sweeping up your floors. Aside from keeping your bed sanitary and presentable, maintaining all the parts to their most operational level and keeping your clients comfortable during sessions, cleaning prevents the spread of viruses, germs and bacteria that pose as health risks to your loyal clients. Maintenance should be done daily, after every tanning session with more detailed inspections of the bed and room weekly. Making it a mandatory part of your weekly cleaning schedule can keep you and your staff on top of keeping the bed clean and your clients feeling safe in your salon.
What Are The Risks?
Unsanitary tanning beds are a hot spot for a variety of health risks, exponentially increased from the prolonged exposure your client’s receive with tanning bed surfaces during their sessions. Vinegar and other homemade cleaning solutions do not eliminate the viruses and bacteria that can build up on the acrylic surface of the tanning bed. Potential risks include HPV, herpes, warts, and other serious health concerns such as Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica (formerly S. choleraesuis) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. All of these risk factors flourish in warm, moist environments and your tanning beds contain both of these conditions when in use.
What is The Law?
In Illinois, the state General Assembly declared that all tanning bed surfaces which are touched by the clients must be sterilized after every use with a registered disinfectant approved by the United States Environmental Agency, as well as all cloth towels used for cleaning and drying the tanning beds. However, not all states have adopted the same regulation, and it is nearly impossible to monitor or enforce the policy for all tanning business in the regulated states. States are not bound to adopt tanning bed regulations and many states have no law on their books in regard to tanning bed care.
The Alternatives
Every product we manufacture is designed not only for safety, but for maximum cost per ounce to you. Our Lucasol™ One Step Hospital Grade Disinfectant kills 99.999% of bacteria, viruses, and fungus in 60 seconds & a 100% kill rate in 10 minutes. It is the most effective, least cost per ounce cleaning product available in the beauty industry. It’s ideal for use on nail implements, pedicure spas, combs, shears, tanning beds, massage tables and any other hard surface which needs disinfecting or sanitizing.