here is more to cleaning and disinfecting than meets the eye. Keeping an aesthetically clean salon can help build and maintain clients, as clients like to know that they’re taking their beloved pets to a safe and clean environment, and it shows that you care for your business and are a hygienic salon. It also ensures the safety of the dogs and staff by mitigating risks, hazards, and infection or cross-contamination.
Naturally, dog hair or animal fur gets everywhere—in walls and floor cracks, behind sockets, you name it—you will find fur on any surface in a pet salon! There is also a layer of grease that comes along with the fur that can build up on surfaces within your salon. And if it’s not maintained and cleaned off regularly, this can build up in your lungs as it is blasted off dogs’ skin and into the air we breathe in, which is why we promote using masks. In addition, fur mixed with the warm, damp conditions of a bathing room can incubate bacteria which can also build up. Keeping a clean salon ensures that your environment is safe by mitigating hazards such as grease, fur and bacteria build-up within your working environment.
We all know that maintaining a clean-looking salon takes a lot of work and is extremely hard to do at times. But you can make it easier on yourself by having a clutter-free environment and having washable walls, floors and equipment. Ensure that you clean as you go along, vacuuming fur, wiping surfaces, disinfecting between grooms and throwing towels in the wash. In addition, set and stick to a strict rota that includes daily cleaning and disinfecting of walls, floors, equipment and filters. A weekly cleaning of vents and behind counters and crates is also a good idea. This may even need to be done daily in busy salons.
It is important that you maintain a safe working environment for you and your staff, in addition to the customers and pets coming into your business. This means making sure wet floors are either dried immediately or signs are placed, any fur is swept up because it can be slippery, and that any hazardous substances are stored and used correctly.
Another important factor about cleaning and disinfecting is the use of products that are safe to use around animals. This should be common sense, but I have seen many groomers mop floors with household bleach and clean crates out with store-purchased bathroom/kitchen cleaners. These are not all suitable for use around animals! Bleach can burn pads and skin, as dogs’ skin has a different PH than humans’ and is therefore at a higher risk of chemical burns from cleaning products.
Also use caution if using homemade or all-natural cleaners, as some herbs, flowers and essential oils can be toxic to animals. Again, make sure what you are using is safe and healthy for the animals in your care. Some plants that are known to be toxic to dogs and cats are Lily, Sweet Pea, Lavender, Chamomile, Eucalyptus, Foxglove, Iris and Rosemary, to name just a few.
So, create a regular animal-safe cleaning regime that allows you to keep your salons safe and aesthetically pleasing to help maintain safety and client satisfaction. Happy cleaning!