A hair salon cleaning checklist should split tasks into daily, weekly and monthly routines so hair clippings, product residue and colour stains never build up between clients. The fastest way to keep a salon presentable and hygienic is to clean high-touch and high-mess areas after every client, reset the whole space at close, then schedule deeper jobs across the week and month.
The checklist below is built for Australian salons and covers the areas that actually get dirty: reception, styling stations, wash basins, floors, mirrors, tools, product shelves, the staff room, the bathroom and waste. Adjust frequency to how busy the salon is, and always follow the instructions on any cleaning or disinfecting product label.
Daily Salon Cleaning Tasks
Daily cleaning keeps the salon safe underfoot and ready for the next client. Most of this happens in short bursts between appointments, with a full reset at the end of the day.
Between clients
- Sweep or vacuum hair clippings from around the chair straight away
- Wipe the styling chair, armrests and headrest
- Clean combs and brushes and remove trapped hair
- Disinfect scissors, clippers and other tools per the product label
- Wipe the station bench and mirror where product has splashed
- Rinse the wash basin and clear hair from the drain trap
End of day
- Sweep and mop all floors, paying attention to wet zones near basins
- Wipe down all mirrors and glass
- Empty every bin, including foils and colour tubes, and reline
- Wipe reception desk, EFTPOS terminal, phone and door handles
- Launder or bag used towels and capes for washing
- Clean and dry basins, taps and backwash chairs
- Restock station supplies for the next morning
Wet floors near wash basins are one of the more common slip risks in a salon, so mop spills as they happen rather than waiting for close.
Weekly Salon Cleaning Tasks
Weekly tasks reach the spots that daily cleaning skips and stop product residue and colour stains from setting in.
- Deep clean wash basins, including under the rim and around fittings
- Descale taps and showerheads if water marks are building up
- Wipe down product shelves and rotate stock so nothing is buried
- Clean the inside and outside of colour trolleys and tint bowls
- Scrub any colour stains on benches, floors and basins
- Wash walls and skirting near stations where spray settles
- Clean the staff room: fridge surfaces, sink, microwave and bench
- Vacuum upholstered waiting chairs and spot clean marks
- Wash floor mats and anti-fatigue mats
- Clean light fittings and dust high shelves
Reception areas, staff rooms and shared treatment spaces often need a more thorough reset than a quick daily wipe allows. Where staff time is stretched, these back-of-house zones are a common candidate for professional workplace cleaning in Sydney on a set schedule.
Monthly Salon Cleaning Tasks
Monthly cleaning handles the build-up that daily and weekly routines cannot fully reach.
- Deep clean and check drains at every basin for hair blockages
- Wash windows inside and out, including shopfront glass
- Clean air conditioning vents and grilles
- Move furniture and clean underneath styling units and reception
- Deep clean the bathroom, including grout, exhaust fan and tiling
- Wash or replace worn towels and capes past their best
- Clean and disinfect the interior of storage cupboards
- Inspect and clean upholstery on all chairs
- Descale the hot water system feeding backwash basins if needed
Salons located inside a shopping centre, a mixed-use building or a complex with shared entries and hallways may also share responsibility for common areas. Where that applies, cleaning shared strata areas is usually arranged through the building or strata management rather than handled in-house, so check what the salon is and is not responsible for.
Salon Cleaning Checklist Table
This compact table brings the routines together for quick reference.
| Area | Daily | Weekly | Monthly |
|---|---|---|---|
| Styling stations | Sweep hair, wipe chair and bench | Wash walls and skirting nearby | Move units, clean underneath |
| Wash basins | Rinse, clear drain trap | Deep clean, descale taps | Check drains for blockages |
| Floors | Sweep and mop | Wash mats | Clean under furniture |
| Mirrors and glass | Wipe splashes and marks | Full clean | Clean windows in and out |
| Tools | Clean and disinfect per label | Clean trolleys and bowls | Disinfect storage areas |
| Product shelves | Tidy and wipe splashes | Wipe down, rotate stock | Deep clean cupboards |
| Staff room | Wipe surfaces, empty bin | Clean fridge, sink, microwave | Deep clean thoroughly |
| Bathroom | Wipe surfaces, restock | Scrub basin and toilet | Clean grout and exhaust |
| Waste | Empty all bins, reline | - | Disinfect bin areas |
How to Keep Tools and Client-Facing Areas Clean
Tools and presentation are where clients notice hygiene most, so they deserve attention beyond a general sweep.
Combs, brushes and clippers should have hair removed and be cleaned and disinfected according to the product instructions between clients. Scissors and metal tools can be wiped and disinfected, then dried to prevent rust. Towels and capes should go straight to the wash after use rather than being reused across clients.
Client-facing presentation matters too. Fingerprint-free mirrors, clean chairs without stray clippings, tidy product shelves and a fresh-smelling reception all shape how the salon feels. A quick wipe of the reception desk, EFTPOS terminal and door handles through the day keeps high-touch points clean.
Disinfecting products only work as intended when used correctly, so follow the contact time and dilution stated on the label. Cleaning may help reduce visible mess and residue, but no routine removes every germ, so treat these tasks as good hygiene practice rather than a guarantee.
Who Should Handle Salon Cleaning
Most daily and weekly salon cleaning is realistic for staff to manage between and after appointments, especially the station resets, tool cleaning and floor sweeping that need to happen constantly through the day. Building these into the daily flow keeps the space consistently presentable.
Deeper monthly work, back-of-house areas and shared spaces are where outside help often makes sense, particularly for busy salons where staff time is better spent with clients. The right split depends on salon size, foot traffic, staffing and whether the premises sit inside a larger managed building.
Keeping Your Salon Consistently Clean
A working salon cleaning checklist is only useful if the whole team follows it, so assign clear owners for daily, weekly and monthly tasks and keep the list visible in the staff room. Match the frequency to how busy the salon actually is, follow product label instructions for any cleaning or disinfecting product, and stay in line with relevant workplace hygiene expectations for your state. From there, decide which tasks are realistic to keep in-house between clients and which deeper or shared-area jobs are worth outsourcing, based on salon size, foot traffic, and available staff time.
Frequently Asked Questions
How often should a hair salon be cleaned?
Salons need cleaning throughout the day, not just at close. Sweep hair and reset each station between clients, do a full clean of floors, basins, mirrors and bins at end of day, then schedule weekly and monthly deep cleans for build-up. Busier salons will need more frequent resets across all areas.
What is the best way to clean hair clippings off the floor?
Sweep or vacuum clippings from around the chair straight after each client rather than letting them spread. A rubber-bristled broom or salon vacuum handles fine hair well. Mopping afterwards lifts product residue and keeps wet zones near basins safe, since loose hair on wet floors adds to slip risk.
How should salon tools be cleaned between clients?
Remove trapped hair from combs, brushes and clippers, then clean and disinfect them following the product label for dilution and contact time. Wipe and dry metal tools like scissors to prevent rust. Fresh towels and capes should be used for each client rather than reused, with used ones going straight to the wash.
Do salons in shopping centres handle their own common area cleaning?
Usually not. Shared entries, hallways and amenities in a shopping centre or mixed-use building are generally cleaned through the building or strata management. The salon is normally responsible for its own tenancy. Check the lease and building arrangements to confirm exactly which areas fall to the salon and which are handled centrally.