Obviously, personal hygiene is paramount for Massage Therapists. You make sure your hands are clean, nails are trim, breath is free from offensive aromas like cigarette smoke and onions. But what about your treatment room? How clean is it really? Take an honest inventory of your company's sanitation practices and see if there is any room for improvement. The following suggestions don't take much time to add to your regular routine and they may even make life a little easier!
Quick Tip #1: Draping the Blanket
Everyone knows the sheets must be laundered in between clients, but what about the blanket you use on top of your sheet set? If you aren't careful, oil, sweat, and germs can accumulate on these covers and then be transferred from client to client. Here at the Marble Falls Massage Therapy Center, we encourage therapists to fold the sheets as follows to prevent cross-contamination:
When preparing the table, the head of the top sheet is folded over the blanket to protect the blanket from oil during neck and back work.
As we drape the arms and legs for treatment, we grab the top sheet and fold it over the blanket to create a clean workspace using the underside of the top sheet.
These draping techniques keep oil away from the blanket so that it can be reused for the rest of the day. Then we toss everything in the laundry bin at the end of the day.
Quick Tip #2: Towels for entry and exit
Use a clean wash cloth or paper towel to turn door handles in and out of the treatment room. No more oily door knobs! No more cross-contamination!
Quick Tip #3: Clean Your Oil Dispenser
Most of us were trained that we should never double dip out of a large container. For smaller bottles, wash/disinfect the outside of your oil container in between clients, especially the pumps.
Quick Tip #4: Think Like The Client
Walk through the client experience. What do they touch? Where do they sit when they are getting dressed? What do they see? To quickly and easily sanitize these areas, I like Lysol wipes. Any spray disinfectant should do the job. I just prefer the clean scent of Lysol and handiness of a wipes container under the foot of the massage table. It only takes about a minute to wipe down these surfaces.
Quick Tip #5: Don't Hide It!
Be proud of your commitment to your clients health and wellness! Keep a cleaning schedule posted on the back of the bathroom door for everyone to see and inspect.
Most clients will never know all of the hard work that goes into cleaning your office when they're not there. But cleanliness shouldn't be about what's easiest. It should be about what will create the cleanest, safest space for optimum relaxation. By making sanitation a priority you can set yourself apart from your peers, gain respect from the medical community, and improve the client experience.
Share your sanitation tips in the comment section.
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