Disinfecting brushes, scissors, and hair clippers: a quick guide for hair salons
If you manage a hair salon, a barber shop, or a grooming parlor, the tools you use daily (brushes, scissors, clippers, combs, clips) pass from one client to another dozens of times a day. Each of these utensils can become a vector for transmitting bacteria, fungi, viruses, or parasites such as lice if not properly decontaminated between uses. You need a clear cleaning and disinfection protocol to protect your clients, your team, and your salon's reputation.
Read on to learn how to properly disinfect the three categories of tools that raise the most questions: brushes, scissors, and hair clippers.
Why is the disinfection of tools in a hair salon mandatory?
In Romania, hygiene in beauty salons is regulated by Ministry of Health Order 1648/2024, which establishes mandatory hygiene, disinfection, and sterilization procedures in salons, the organization of workspaces, and the proper handling of instruments. The order explicitly stipulates that reusable tools and materials must be cleaned and disinfected with an authorized biocidal product after each client, and instruments that may come into contact with blood or broken skin must be sterilized.
The risk is real. Scissors that touch the scalp, clippers used for beard or neck trimming, and brushes that circulate through the hair of multiple clients can carry staphylococci, dermatophytes responsible for fungal infections (tinea capitis), the hepatitis B virus in the case of micro-lesions, or lice eggs. An insufficiently decontaminated tool turns a routine visit into a source of cross-infection.
Cleaning, disinfection, sterilization: differences
The most common mistake in salons is confusing these three stages. They are complementary and must be carried out consecutively:
1. Cleaning (Preparation): Mechanically removes visible dirt: hair, cosmetic product residue, sebum, and dust. This step is mandatory: if tools are not washed beforehand, the remaining organic matter will inactivate the disinfectant substances, nullifying their effect. Cleaning does not destroy microbes, but it is the foundation of the entire sanitization process.
2. Disinfection: Reduces the number of active microorganisms to a level safe for health, using biocidal products authorized by the Ministry of Health. Disinfectant substances are applied exclusively to already cleaned surfaces and instruments, strictly observing the correct concentration and contact time specified by the manufacturer (the time the instrument must remain wet or submerged).
3. Sterilization: This is the highest level of decontamination, which destroys absolutely all forms of microbial life, including resistant bacterial spores. It is mandatory for all instruments that can cause micro-cuts or come into contact with blood (straight razors, cuticle nippers, drill bits). It is most safely achieved through autoclaving (steam under pressure) or cold chemical sterilization (complete immersion in special sterilizing solutions, not just disinfectants), using authorized equipment and products.
For more details, download the practical hygiene and disinfection guide for beauty salons!
How to properly disinfect brushes and combs in a hair salon
Brushes and combs accumulate hair, dead skin cells, and residue from hairspray, wax, and oil. They are among the most neglected tools, even though they circulate through every client's hair.
Step 1: Removing hair
After each client, clean the brushes of hair caught between the bristles using a fine-toothed comb or a thin tail comb. This is the mechanical cleaning stage.
Step 2: Washing
At least once a day, wash the brushes and combs in warm water with detergent or shampoo to dissolve sebum and product residue. To save time without compromising safety, you can use a product like Klintensiv® concentrated detergent-disinfectant. This combines mechanical cleaning and disinfection into a single step.
Step 3: Disinfection
After washing and rinsing, immerse the tools in an authorized disinfectant solution or spray them evenly with a ready-to-use surface disinfectant, observing the contact time on the label. Pay attention to the base of the brush and the area between the bristles, where most residue accumulates. Between uses, you can use Klinosept, a ready-to-use (RTU) alcohol-based professional rapid disinfectant with quick drying and short action time.
Step 4: Drying and storage
Dry the tools completely with the bristles facing down on a clean towel and store them in a closed space, protected from dust and moisture. Never store damp brushes in closed drawers – moisture promotes fungal growth.
How to properly disinfect scissors?
Scissors are an investment and a precision instrument: incorrect disinfection leads to rust, oxidation, and dulling of the blades. The goal is to decontaminate them without damaging them.
Step 1: Cleaning
After each client, wipe the blades with a soft microfiber cloth to remove hair and residue. Do not wash scissors under running water and do not leave them wet.
Step 2: Disinfection
Apply the disinfectant solution to the cloth, not directly onto the blade, and carefully wipe the cutting surface, the screw area, and the handle. We recommend Sterisol, a high-level RTU disinfectant. Respect the contact time indicated by the manufacturer. Applying the solution directly and abundantly into the screw area can dilute the joint lubricant.
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Step 3: Sterilization (when applicable)
If the scissors have come into contact with broken skin or blood, decontamination must be completed with sterilization. For heat-sensitive instruments, cold chemical sterilization replaces autoclaving, observing the indicated concentration and contact time.
Step 4: Lubrication
After disinfection, place two or three drops of special scissor oil in the pivot point, open and close the scissors a few times to distribute the oil, then wipe off any excess. Store the scissors dry in a dedicated sheath or holder.
How to properly disinfect hair clippers
Hair clippers and trimmers are the most heavily used tools in a barbershop and, at the same time, the most exposed to contact with the skin and micro-lesions at the contours. Their blades retain fine hair, sebum, and skin cells.
Step 1: Switching off and removing residue
Always turn off the machine before cleaning. Detach the head/blade where possible and remove hair with the provided stiff brush. Never clean the blade while the machine is running.
Step 2: Blade disinfection
Spray the blade with a disinfectant spray dedicated to hair clippers and let the solution act according to the instructions on the label.
Step 3: Drying
Wipe off excess solution and let the blade dry. Residual moisture combined with hair favors oxidation and blade blockage.
Step 4: Lubrication
Apply special hair clipper oil to the blade, turn the device on for 5–10 seconds to distribute the oil to all teeth, then remove any excess. Use exclusively the oil recommended by the manufacturer – other lubricants can irreversibly damage the mechanism.
For fine contours on the scalp or beard, where the risk of micro-lesions is high, treat the blades as semi-critical to critical instruments and complete the disinfection with sterilization whenever there has been contact with broken skin.
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