Every good barber knows just how important hygiene is for a barbershop – whether it be the tools, the workstations, or even back-of-house spaces such as a kitchen or staff room. And now, with a recent surge in ringworm cases amongst clients, barbershop hygiene has never been more important.
Andy Willis, owner of Andy's Barbers in Bicester, Oxfordshire, shared his thoughts on barbershop hygiene with Modern Barber: "We're maintaining the same high standards of hygiene that we've always had, give and take a few changes. Scrupulous hygiene should be kept up at all times – it shouldn’t take a pandemic or a surge in client infections for people to be doing this. One of my greatest wishes for the industry is that local councils take control of the hygiene rating of barbershops. We should have a compulsory five-star rating system just like the food industry does."
How To Get a Hygiene Rating for Your Barbershop?
A great way to let existing, and potential, clients know about your barbershop's hygiene is to secure a hygiene rating. The Salon Hygiene Award is a voluntary programme set up to improve and maintain hygiene and safety standards within premises offering hair, beauty, well-being and some special treatments. Following an assessment, barbershops will be given a score out of five – and any businesses scoring less than top marks will be offered guidance on how to improve their score. You'll also be provided with promotional materials to place in your window, highlighting your barbershop's excellent hygiene to any passing trade.
How To Keep Your Tools Clean
Mike Taylor, founder of Mike Taylor Education, suggests: "Barbers should charge the right amount of money for their service to allow them to be able to perform that service and clean tools to the right standard for their next client.”
London-based barber Ben Vowles, cited compressed air to help remove debris from tools, along with Clippercide sprays and Barbercide, as his go-to methods to ensuring his tools stay clean and hygienic.
You can find out more about electrical tool maintenance here.
London-based barber Ben Vowles, cited compressed air to help remove debris from tools, along with Clippercide sprays and Barbercide, as his go-to methods to ensuring his tools stay clean and hygienic. Meanwhile, Sid Da Barber recommends utilising out-of-hours to leave your tools to disinfect overnight – in addition between cleaning equiptment in between clients, too. Another piece of advice, from Zac M, was to take a seat in the waiting area or to sit in the barber chair, as this will allow you to see what they are seeing.
You can find out more about electrical tool maintenance here.
