How effective is your Disinfection?

When we posted our January survey “What is your #1 concern when it comes to Disinfection in your Salon”, I was not at all surprised by the comments from those who participated.
Thank you, BTW, for your participation
The concerns are as follows:
  • Effectiveness
  • Safety
  • Salon knowledge
  • Proper usage
These are some very serious concerns….and should be!
In previous years (many many) when I had my Salon, the concern of disinfection was no where near the concerns we have now.  Viruses, Bacteria, Fungi always existed, however, we weren’t privy to them, and quite truthfully even though they have always been around, there are more to worry about today and they are more dangerous.
I recently realized the most current problem today with Disinfection is much like the problems we have with products we use in our Foot Care room.
 The disinfection products of 50 years ago, no longer suffice for the concerns we presently deal with in our Salon.
This picture is a perfect example:  If you look at the two(2) bottom examples of products used quite frequently in our Salons and Spas, you can see a clear difference in the amount of time it took to get from point A to point B.  Our BioSurf disinfection products (#1) clearly has more efficacy, in less time.
But, how do you really know how effective your Disinfection products are if they don’t provide you with this type of information?  Each Mfg. should have case studies, pictures, MSDS sheets for you to read and compare to other products exactly what their efficacy is.  I know with our BioSurf products, this type of information is plenty.  After all, if BioSurf is used in our Medical arena (for over 35 years) i’m feeling pretty confident the testing is accurate and we can get a ton of it.
Time is of value isn’t it?  We don’t just deal with how efficient our products are, we also deal with how long do you have to wait for them to kill the viruses, fungi and bacteria we are exposed to on a daily basis?  3 minutes, 5 minutes, 10 minutes and sometimes even longer.  Isn’t it better to have a product which is effective AND quick?
You also want to know if your disinfection product is a low, medium or high grade disinfection.  Low grade may be acceptable by your State board, but really?  Are you comfortable using a low grade disinfection product in your facility?  Sadly, I know many Salons do.  I struggle with these conversations because they are basing their choice on price instead of effectiveness.
Another point to realize is if you mix your disinfection solution with water, this can also reduce it’s effectiveness.
To summarize, determine what you want in “effectiveness”.  
Do you want to get by just on the basics, or do you
want to be better than needed?  
Ask the provider of your disinfection product to provide you with full disclosure on the brand.  Ask for lab testing and case studies.  And, don’t forget to make sure you have your MSDS sheets readily available at your Salon in case you need them.
Centre for Beauty chose to carry Micrylium products due to it’s efficacy and due to the fact is is safe for the environment AND our technicians.  This is important.  How do you dispose of your Disinfection products?  Can they be flushed down the toilet, rinsed down the sink or…..are you really suppose to call a waste removal Company to dispose of it?
You can reach out to me if you want more information on our Micrylium products cj@centreforbeauty.com,   This article is about making sure you know how effective your Disinfection product is and if you don’t, information on how you can find out.  However, effectiveness just doesn’t have to do with products but how it is used.
Tune in next week for product usage information and Salon knowledge.
CJ Murray
President, Centre for Beauty

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