Are you also suffering from spring fever? When spring comes, we all get the urge... to do a thorough cleaning. Now is the time for that big spring clean. We do this in our homes, but groomers know that their grooming salon could use a thorough cleaning every now and then too. So, it's time to open those doors and windows and get started! No idea how to go about this? Our Transgroom neat freak Ilse will help you on your way.
Do the clean check
Dog groomers are creative people and true artists. Every dog that walks out of the salon perfectly scissored, clipped or groomed is a creation of the groomer. Because the best is never good enough, each dog is taken care of with heart and soul and finished to perfection. Dogs are like living billboards for the salon. The care of the dog and the ultimate finish take central part, which can sometimes make things a little chaotic in a salon. After all, as a groomer you are busy with many things at the same time and the dog’s care gets all your attention. Perhaps your salon is not always as tidy as you would like at certain times. It can be enlightening to reflect on this from time to time and bring some order to the chaos. By keeping your work surface clean, you create a space of peace. This allows you to give your creativity full rein. Try to take some time at the end of each day to clean your salon. By cleaning daily, you can better maintain and control everything.
Perhaps the most important point of attention is the reception area! This is where your customers enter the business and where they can immediately soak up the atmosphere. It is also where they make their first impression. Make sure the reception smells fresh and pleasant and create a neat and attractive welcome area for your customers. Brush your reception area regularly during the day and keep it hair-free. If you have baskets and fabric seats or other furniture, remove all hair there as well.
Also, take a moment to look at the appearance of your grooming salon room by room as if under a magnifying glass. Walk through your salon and try to look at everything from a different point of view, as if you were a customer or quality controller. Take everything in and be critical. Floors, walls, counters, shop windows, shelves and displayed products should be free of stains, smudges and dust. Are all the chairs and booths clean and in good condition? Check! Make sure there are no hairs on the floor and double check all corners too. Remove clutter and rubbish, as these do not make a good impression on your customers. Dirty towels can be stored in a closed basket or container and clean towels are best placed in a neat, dust-free cabinet that can be completely closed.
Cleaning in 3 steps
To clean efficiently, you basically have to go through 3 steps: clean, disinfect and dry. Cleaning is best done with a good, soap-based cleaning product that cleans thoroughly but also deodorises. Need to clean something up quickly? Then cleaning wipes come in handy. Did one of your four-legged customers leave a little brown present in the car park? No worries! Dog poo is easily cleaned up with a handy poop scooper.
Of course, disinfection is also important in a grooming salon. By disinfecting everything properly, fungi, bacteria and parasites do not get free rein. At the pharmacy you will find a lot of good disinfectants with which you can treat your grooming salon. The best are those with 70% alcohol and 30% distilled water (these are better than those with 90% alcohol). To easily clean your material without disinfectant, you can use the Groom-X Sterilizer. The UV light kills bacteria on your grooming tools quickly, cleanly and effectively. Has a dog visited that suffers from lice, ticks, fleas or other parasites? If so, be sure to also treat the furniture and floors with an insecticide spray.
After cleaning, also use a clean, dry towel or cloth to dry everything thoroughly. By doing this, the cloth will absorb all moisture and wetness and bacteria will not get a chance to grow.
The biggest challenge of any grooming salon? Keeping everything smelling fresh and nice. Both for you as a groomer and for your customers it is pleasant to be in a fresh space. But how do you do this? Creating a nice smelling grooming salon when you have to deal daily with real mud monsters, puddle rollers, hair eaters and woolly balls is easier said than done. The key is good ventilation! In the morning and in between customers, leaving the windows and doors briefly open does wonders. To be sure that no odours remain, clean all surfaces well with the necessary products. Do you want an instant fresh smell in your grooming salon? You can quickly get rid of unpleasant odours with a good odour remover (Pet Fresh or Odour Fresh Spray).
Check your equipment
Finally, spring cleaning is also the ideal time to check that all your equipment is still in good condition. If you want to enjoy your favourite clipper blades for a long time, it is crucial to keep them in top condition. Show Tech Blade Guard spray cleans and protects your clipper blades by lubricating and cooling them as you clip. Not only clipper blades need regular cleaning and maintenance. Scissors that are used a lot need to be treated from time to time with a good oil.
Do you have scissors, machines or clipper blades that are no longer in optimal condition? Then see if they need sharpening, maintenance or repair. And what about your grooming products? Do you still have enough of those and all the equipment you need in stock? Get rid of any products you no longer use and replenish your stock.
Organise the stockroom in a neat and orderly way. Label the boxes with materials and products, so that everything can be found easily. This is even more important when you work with a team. By managing your stock well, everyone can find everything easily and you will quickly know what needs to be replenished.
A clean and organised workplace creates a clean head and gives a boost to your creativity. The tips above will help you on your way. Do you have other handy tips? Let us and other groomers know in the comments! And now, time to roll up your sleeves!
