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Ngā aratohu mō te akuaku me te horoi

Hygiene and cleaning guidelines

The cleanliness of your salon is important in preventing the spread of microbial infections or infestations of head lice.

All hairdressing equipment, tools, instruments, etc must be thoroughly washed in hot water and detergent after use on each customer to remove hair, grease and other matter. Any common household detergent is suitable.

Washing equipment must be carried out in a sink provided especially for this purpose.

At the end of each day, or immediately after use on a person having infected skin, all equipment must be cleaned hygienically by one of the following methods:

  • Moist heat - equipment is immersed in boiling water or confined in live steam for five minutes.
  • Chemical agents - equipment is immersed in a suitable disinfecting agent for at least 15 minutes (see below).
  • Ultraviolet rays - equipment is exposed to effective ultraviolet radiation for at least 15 minutes. Only approved UV equipment may be used.

The use of chemical agents is the most common disinfection method but it is vital the appropriate chemical is used and the equipment is cleaned first as disinfectants are designed to kill micro-organisms but they do not work well on dirty equipment.

Equipment should not be stored in disinfectant. It must be soaked for the recommended time, then dried and stored in a clean, dustproof area.

Fresh disinfectants must be prepared daily and the containers cleaned before refilling. Ensure the disinfectant is diluted according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Electric clippers and other equipment which cannot be immersed for cleaning and disinfection, must be cleaned by brushing and wiping the blades with a suitable disinfecting solution.