All of us have encountered the untimely demise of our equipment right before or during a busy day at our spa or suite. This blog addresses preventing this and provides tips and tools for expedient recovery service interruptions. We will cover preventative maintenance, cleaning & sanitizing and keeping a maintenance log.

 

Preventative maintenance is key in keeping your equipment in good working condition. Here is a list of some preventative checks and quick steps you can take to keep your equipment in tip top shape.

 

Tables and Facial Chairs:

 

 

• Check daily for shaky or loose parts or movement not consistent with the normal operation of the table/chair.                              

• Wipe down daily with a soft cloth and remove any oils or product with a mild detergent or disinfectant.  Check out Lucas-cide at www.thespamart.com!

• Check weekly to see that the table/chair will operate at its full range of movement.

• Monthly/Quarterly tighten all visible nuts and screws. Be careful not to over tighten.

 

 

Vichy Showers or Wet Room Tables:

 

 

• After each use,  remove any oils or product with a soft cloth and mild detergent.

• Daily, wipe down to remove any excess water and remove pad to let dry.

• Check weekly to see that the Vichy Shower & Wet Table will operate at its full range of movement.

• Monthly/Quarterly tighten all visible nuts and screws

 

 

Facial Steamers:

 

• Most steamers are now equipped with a safety function that turns off the power supply when the water level drops below the lowest extremity of a probe.  Conversely, when the water level is back above the lowest extremity or the probe, the power supply will automatically recycle and you can operate the steamer again.

 

• While the machine is in use, the probe must remain immersed in water. When the lowest extremity of probe is really dirty, its sensitivity will be affected/ lower.

• When voltage is below 100 volts, the machine may not work.

• When using pure (distilled) water, initially the machine may not in some cases work. The probe may not recognize that there is water, because of lack of impurities in pure (distilled) water. In this case, try regular tap water for one use. The machine will work. After, switch back to pure (distilled) water. Pure (distilled) water will protect the elements and keep your machine running for a longer time.

• DO NOT add any essential oil in water. If anyone adds any essential oil in water by mistake, clean the water jar and the elements thoroughly. After this, tum on the machine for about 10 minutes to see if spits steam or water. Make sure to aim the steam away from your customers or other people when testing this. Please remove any water left overnight from the water jar. Otherwise, the water may thicken and cause spitting.

• Only use essential oils on strips that go around the steamer head where the steam comes out.

• Please confirm that the gasket is positioned correctly. The purpose of the gasket is to create a tight seal between the water jar and the machine. If the gasket is not positioned correctly, there may be a gap in between the water jar and machine. This may cause hot water or steam to spit from the gap.

• Please make sure water is never over the maximum water level line, which is marked on the water jar. If this happens, boiling water may overflow and get into the Steamer and/or the hose within. Water may accumulate inside and may cause spitting.

 

 

Magnifying Lamps:

 

With the standard use of the lamp you will find that product from your hands during service get into the joints of the mag lamp as you use it. This causes the joints to become loss over time since the product acts like a lubricant. Check your owner’s manual of the lamp to see if your lamp joints can be tightened. You can also call your distributor or manufacturer of the lamp to get this information. This simple step will save you money in the replacement cost of lamps.  

 

If the lamp becomes heavily soiled, wipe it with a dampened cloth containing a mild soap solution. Do not use large quantities of liquid or spray cleaners as they may enter the shade housing and impact electrical safety. Take special care when cleaning lens, to avoid scratches  and use only a soft cloth dampened with warm soapy water. NEVER USE AN ABRASIVE CLEANER.

 

Towel Cabies:

 

At the end of the day:

 

• Turn off the unit (move the Rocker Switch or other switch to the off position).

• Remove any towels that are left in the unit. Do not leave wet towels in the Hot Towel Cabi overnight. They will mildew.

• Wipe the cabinet dry.

• Empty the drip tray and leave the door open to let the unit dry completely out before closing door.

• Once a week, wipe the inside of the cabinet with a non-abrasive, antimicrobial cleaning product.

• To avoid the growth of microbes or fungus, wash the drip tray with hot, soapy water at least once or twice per week.

 

 

Pedicure Chairs:

 

It is your responsibility to understand and follow your state’s regulations regarding product usage and disinfecting requirements.

 

• Do not use any products containing a foaming agent; this will cause excessive foam.  Check out Lucas-side on our website as it’s a great choice for disinfecting!

• It has been determined that products containing non-dissolving abrasives (such as sand and sea salts) will not harm the internal component structure of your pedicure spa as long as the entire manufacturer’s cleaning requirements are followed without deviation.  The Spa Mart offers some beautiful salts–check out Soothing Touch and Salt of the Earth for your mani-pedi needs!

• Oil based products may be used in your pedicure spa as long as the cleaning requirements are met.

• Please use pedicure products and cleaning solutions in accordance with each manufacturer’s directions.

• Your whirlpool pedicure spas will give you many years of service as long as proper precautions and precise cleaning and operating instructions are followed.   Make sure your team has a daily plan and cleaning routine!

 

When Cleaning Jets:

 

• Ensure the unit is off and clean the JET head one at a time.

• Follow manufacturer’s directions to remove the JET head from system.

• Use anti-bacterial solution to clean and sanitize all the plastic parts.

• Reassemble the system.

 

 

A maintenance log of equipment performance is the best way to judge both the performance of critical equipment and the staff tasked to care for it. Although the log should be customized to each piece of equipment there are some simple guidelines you can use to create them.

 

 

• The log should provide a guide for the tasks to be performed.
• List what’s required to complete the task
• Give a way to record completion of task.
• Provide a way to report problems.

 

 

 

Cheers to equipment longevity!!!  We hope you find these tips and information useful!  

Check out the video below from one of our vendors Shilouet-tone who explains maintenance and care on their youtube channel. Youtube and the manufacturers are a wonderful resource if you are unsure how to care for or fix a piece of equipment.