Overall Cleanliness

The spa should give the appearance of being neat and tidy. Look for clean, freshly swept and mopped floors. The waiting area should be sparkling clean and appear well cared for. The treatment area should appear freshly sanitized and technicians should clean as they go.

 

Look Around for Warning Signs

Glance around the salon. If there is dust, debris or clippings on the floor or caught in corners, that's a warning sign that cleanliness is not of upmost importance.

 

Hand Sanitation

Washing hands is one of the most basic ways to minimize the transmission of germs. Make sure that the spa insists on both the client and technician washing their hands prior to starting service. A fresh bowl of soapy water should be provided to each client for soaking the nails.  If stones or marbles are used in the water, these also need to be cleaned and sanitized.

 

Station Setup

Even if the spa attempts to follow scrupulous sanitation guidelines, it can be difficult for a disorganized operation to succeed. Look for manicurists to follow a systematic process from greeting the customer to cleaning and sanitizing equipment (or placing it in proper receptacles for later sterilization). The manicurist’s table should be neatly organized with nothing scattered or strewn across it.

The towel at the table should be cleaned off between clients, disinfected with a hard surface disinfectant, and freshly washed linens put out. All non-disposable instruments used in the service should have been disinfected. All disposable items should have been discarded and fresh ones taken out for your use.  Don't be afraid to ask your nail technician how the instruments have been disinfected, and what solutions have been used.  Ask to see the bottle of sanitizing solution if you aren't satisfied.

Pedicure clients also should get clean towels to rest their feet on, and whirlpools should be disinfected between uses.

 

Instrument Storage, Sanitation and Use

All instruments, including files and buffers, should be washed in soapy water after each client and fully immersed in a disinfectant approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for at least 10 minutes. Soiled instruments must be stored separately from clean instruments in labeled receptacles.

Instruments and supplies that cannot be disinfected, such as orange sticks and the sponges placed between the toes, should be thrown away immediately after use.

Never allow anyone to use a credo blade to cut away calluses on your heel or anywhere else. The blades are strictly illegal in Australia salons. Callus buffers must be cleaned and disinfected like other instruments.

Drills (or electric files) are commonly used in the industry and, when used properly, are perfectly safe.  You should not feel any pain or burning when the drill is being used; if you experience any discomfort, tell your technician immediately.  The only time a drill should be used on the natural nail is with a buffer. The use of drills on the cuticles is legal in most states (only diamond bits), but cutting the skin is not. Manicures and pedicures should not be painful or leave your cuticles bloody and swollen. Drill bits should be cleaned after each client.

 

Product Knowledge

You have the right to get clear answers to your questions about procedures, materials being used and their contents.  Most salons use products that are for professionals only, and your technician should be able to explain what products she uses and why. 

 

Don't Get Those Cuticles Cut

Your cuticles naturally protect your nail bed from bacteria. Since that's their purpose, it's best they be left alone or pushed back with an cuticle pusher or orange stick with its tip covered in a piece of cotton.