# Salon cleaning checklist: stations, shampoo bowls, tools and floors, daily to monthly

> A salon cleaning checklist has two halves. Licensed staff clean and disinfect tools, shampoo bowls, headrests and pedicure basins between clients, because state cosmetology board rules assign that to them. A cleaning crew or closing staff then handle the stations, mirrors, hair, color bar, nail area, restrooms and floors every night, plus weekly detail and monthly deep cleaning. Below are both lists, the board rules, and how to price the account.

Published 2026-10-29, updated 2026-10-30 by Broombook · Cleaning checklists and schedules · 15 min read  
Canonical page: https://broombook.com/guides/salon-cleaning-checklist

## Key takeaways

- State cosmetology boards regulate salon sanitation and can inspect without notice; California’s Title 16 rules and Florida’s 61G5-20.002 are typical and are linked below. Check your own state.
- Tools, shampoo bowls and pedicure spas are the licensees’ job between clients; the cleaning crew never opens the clean tool containers or touches the disinfectant jars except to clean the outside.
- Hair is the daily enemy: sweep after every client, keep it in a covered bin, pull it from bowl drains and clean it from under the chair bases weekly.
- Use an EPA-registered disinfectant on chairs, bowls, counters and restroom fixtures, after cleaning, for the full contact time on the label.
- A salon is small but slow to clean per square foot; price it from a minimum visit time, not from the floor area.

## Salon cleaning checklist for employees: between clients and at close

Stylists and nail techs own the cleaning that state boards inspect most closely: tools, shampoo bowls, headrests, linens and pedicure basins, between every client. The cleaning crew cannot do this work, because it happens during the day and because the rules assign it to the licensee. Post this list at every station.

The wording differs by state but the duties are the same. California’s Board of Barbering and Cosmetology requires that [non-electrical tools](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-979) be cleaned of visible debris, washed, dried and then totally immersed in an EPA-registered disinfectant with bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal activity before use on a client, with disinfected tools stored in a clean, covered place labeled “Clean” or “Disinfected”. [Headrests, shampoo bowls and treatment tables](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-990) get a clean towel or paper sheet per client, and shampoo bowls are cleaned with soap and water after each shampoo. [Towels, sheets and smocks](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-987) go into a closed container after a single use and are laundered either commercially or in water of at least 160°F for 25 minutes (commercial laundries may instead use a cold-water chemical process that follows the manufacturers’ instructions).

Salon cleaning checklist for stylists and nail techs

12 tasks in 2 groups. Tap to tick them off as you go.

### Between every client

- [ ] Sweep hair from around the chair into a dustpan and put it in the covered hair bin, never left on the floor
- [ ] Wipe the chair seat, arms and headrest, and put a fresh towel or paper sheet on the headrest
- [ ] Clean the shampoo bowl with soap and water after each shampoo, and disinfect it where your state requires
- [ ] Put used towels, capes and smocks in the closed soiled-linen container
- [ ] Clean, then disinfect, combs, brushes, shears and clippers the way your state board requires, and store them in the clean, covered container
- [ ] Wipe the station counter and mirror edge where product splashed

### End of the day

- [ ] Empty disinfectant jars, clean them and refill with fresh solution mixed to the label
- [ ] Wipe down the whole station, the mirror and the tool drawer
- [ ] Clean the color bar: bowls, brushes, scale, counter and the sink trap screen
- [ ] Run or send the laundry so clean towels are ready for the morning
- [ ] Clean pedicure basins and disinfect filter screens and jets by the state rule, if the salon does nails
- [ ] Restock paper, soap and neck strips, and note what is low

Florida’s [salon requirements rule](https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleno.asp?id=61G5-20.002) says the same in its own words: no brush, comb or other article used on more than one patron without disinfection, shampoo bowls, facial beds and neck rests cleaned and disinfected between each use, and pedicure units cleaned with a low-foaming detergent after each client and then disinfected with an EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectant for at least ten minutes, with filter screens and jets disinfected at the end of each day. Nail salons should treat the pedicure block of this list as a board rule, not a preference.

## Hair salon cleaning checklist: the nightly list for the crew

Every night, the crew sweeps and picks up all hair, cleans and disinfects chairs, bowls, counters and restroom fixtures, wipes mirrors and the color bar, and does the floors last. The crew works around the staff’s tool containers and disinfectant jars, never in them.

California’s [cleanliness and repair rule](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-994) requires floors, walls, woodwork, ceilings, furniture and fixtures kept clean and in good repair, with no accumulation of waste, hair clippings or refuse. The [minimum equipment rule](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-978) requires a covered waste container for hair and closed containers for soiled towels. Florida’s rule says hair must not be allowed to accumulate on the floor and must go in a covered receptacle. So the nightly list is built around hair: sweep it, bin it, pull it from drains, and get it out from under the chair bases.

Nightly salon cleaning checklist

30 tasks in 6 groups. Tap to tick them off as you go.

### Reception and retail

- [ ] Clean entry door glass, handles and the front desk counter
- [ ] Clean and disinfect the card terminal (spray the cloth), phone, keyboard and pens
- [ ] Wipe waiting chairs, side tables and the drinks station
- [ ] Dust retail shelves at hand height and straighten product
- [ ] Empty trash and recycling and replace liners

### Styling stations

- [ ] Sweep and pick up every strand of hair around each station, then under the chair base
- [ ] Clean mirrors and the mirror frames
- [ ] Clean, then disinfect, chair seats, arms, backs and hydraulic bases
- [ ] Wipe station counters, drawer fronts and the outside of tool holders without opening the clean tool containers
- [ ] Wipe dryer hoods, rolling carts and the outside of hot-tool holders once they are cool
- [ ] Empty each station’s covered hair bin and trash and replace the liner

### Shampoo area and color bar

- [ ] Clean and disinfect shampoo bowls, faucets, neck rests and the chair
- [ ] Pull hair from the bowl drains and wipe the backsplash
- [ ] Wipe the color bar counter, sink and splash walls; put color-stained bowls in the sink for staff
- [ ] Wipe product shelves and the fronts of the dispensary cabinets
- [ ] Mop the shampoo area floor last, where water and color drip

### Nail and treatment rooms

- [ ] Wipe manicure tables, lamps, armrests and client chairs
- [ ] Wipe the outside of pedicure chairs, footrests and basins after staff have disinfected them
- [ ] Wipe treatment beds, stools and counters, and leave fresh paper or linen for staff to set
- [ ] Vacuum nail dust from the floor, table edges and vents with a filtered vacuum
- [ ] Empty trash, including the covered bin for used files and buffers

### Restrooms and laundry

- [ ] Clean and disinfect the toilet, seat, flush handle, sink, faucet and counter
- [ ] Clean the mirror and the outside of dispensers; refill soap, paper towels and toilet paper
- [ ] Empty trash and sanitary bins and replace liners
- [ ] Wipe the washer and dryer tops and the folding counter; keep clean towels in the closed cabinet
- [ ] Mop the floor with a wet floor sign out

### Floors and close

- [ ] Sweep or vacuum the whole floor, including under chairs, carts and along baseboards where hair collects
- [ ] Damp-mop hard floors with a neutral cleaner, working toward the door
- [ ] Empty the main trash and take hair and food waste out of the building
- [ ] Check that disinfectant jars are covered and labeled, and leave the lights and alarm as the owner asked

Many salons close between 6 and 9 p.m. and the crew works after the last client, or early the next morning before the first appointment. Agree the window and the alarm procedure, and ask which stations are rented by independent stylists; a booth renter may clean their own station and expect you to leave it alone.

## Weekly and monthly salon cleaning schedule

Weekly tasks are chair bases, full-height retail dusting, glass, descaling, dryer hoods and the bins. Monthly and quarterly tasks are high dusting, wall washing behind stations, floor scrubbing, grout, upholstery and ventilation filters.

Weekly salon cleaning checklist

9 tasks in 2 groups. Tap to tick them off as you go.

### Detail

- [ ] Wipe chair bases, foot pedals and the floor under each hydraulic base where hair mats
- [ ] Dust the full height of retail shelves, product displays and window ledges
- [ ] Clean interior glass, mirrors edge to edge, and the inside of the storefront window
- [ ] Descale shampoo bowl faucets and spray heads, and the restroom fixtures
- [ ] Clean the inside of the microwave and the fridge in the break area

### Equipment and dust

- [ ] Wipe dryer hoods inside and out, dryer chairs and steamers after staff confirm they are off and cool
- [ ] Vacuum the lint filter area and behind the washer and dryer
- [ ] Wipe fan blades, air purifier housings and the vents in the nail area
- [ ] Wash the hair bins and trash cans and let them dry

Monthly and quarterly salon cleaning checklist

10 tasks in 2 groups. Tap to tick them off as you go.

### Monthly

- [ ] High dusting of light fixtures, pendant lamps, ceiling fans and signage
- [ ] Wash walls behind stations and the shampoo bowls where product and water splash
- [ ] Clean baseboards and door frames, and pull the chairs out to clean under every station
- [ ] Machine-scrub the floor and clean grout in the shampoo and restroom areas
- [ ] Check the janitor closet: stock, labeled bottles and safety data sheets

### Quarterly or as scheduled

- [ ] Change or clean HVAC filters and the nail area ventilation filters with the owner
- [ ] Clean exterior storefront glass and the sign, if in scope
- [ ] Deep-clean upholstery on waiting chairs and treatment beds
- [ ] Strip and refinish or re-seal hard floors on the salon’s schedule
- [ ] Walk the salon with the owner before the state inspection season and update the checklist

### How often should a salon be cleaned?

| Area or task | Who | How often |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Tools, headrests, shampoo bowls, pedicure basins, linens | Licensed staff | Between every client, per the state board rule |
| Hair sweep around the station | Stylist | After every client |
| Stations, mirrors, chairs, color bar, nail area, restrooms, floors, trash | Cleaning crew or closing staff | Every day the salon is open |
| Chair bases, retail shelves, glass, descaling, hoods, bins | Cleaning crew | Weekly |
| High dusting, walls, floor scrub, grout | Cleaning crew | Monthly |
| Ventilation filters, upholstery, floor refinishing, exterior glass | Cleaning crew, specialist or the owner | Quarterly or on a set plan |

Spread the weekly list across the week so each night is about the same length, and use the free [cleaning schedule template](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-schedule-template) to show the owner which night gets which zone.

## Nail salon cleaning checklist: dust, fumes and pedicure chairs

A nail salon adds three things to the hair salon list: fine acrylic and gel dust on every surface, fumes that need ventilation kept clean, and pedicure chairs whose basins, jets and screens must be disinfected on the state’s schedule by the technicians.

### Dust

Filing dust settles on tables, lamps, vents, baseboards and the floor, and it is fine enough to pass through an ordinary vacuum. Use a vacuum with a HEPA or fine-dust filter, wipe tables and lamps with a damp microfiber rather than dry dusting, and clean the table-mounted dust collectors’ outside surfaces; the filters inside are the salon’s to change.

### Ventilation

Florida’s rule requires nail extension and sculpting services to be done in a separate area that is adequately ventilated for the safe dispersion of fumes, and other states have similar wording. Your part is to keep vents, grilles and purifier housings clean so the system moves air, and to tell the owner when filters look loaded.

### Pedicure chairs

The technicians disinfect the basin after each client and the screens, jets and foot plates at the end of the day, as the [Florida rule](https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleno.asp?id=61G5-20.002) spells out. The crew wipes the outside of the chair, the footrest, the controls and the floor around the base, and reports any basin that was left dirty, because that is what an inspector will look at first.

Products: EPA-registered hospital-grade disinfectants are what the board rules name for tools and basins. For the crew’s surfaces, any product on the EPA’s [registered disinfectant lists](https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/selected-epa-registered-disinfectants) works, applied after cleaning and left visibly wet for the full contact time on the label. Never mix products, and keep acetone and other salon chemicals out of your cart; they belong to the salon and have their own storage rules.

## What state cosmetology boards require for salon sanitation

Most states license salons through a cosmetology or barbering board, and boards publish sanitation rules they inspect against, often without notice. The salon owner is responsible for meeting them; your scope should show which rules your crew covers and which stay with the licensees.

The common requirements, with the California and Florida versions linked as examples:

- **Disinfecting tools between clients** with an EPA-registered disinfectant that is bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal, mixed and used per the label ([California § 979](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-979); [Florida 61G5-20.002](https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleno.asp?id=61G5-20.002)). Florida also requires salons to be equipped with and use disinfecting solutions, and that wet disinfection containers have a cover.
- **Clean and soiled linens kept separate** in closed containers, with a laundering standard ([California § 987](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-987)).
- **Headrests, shampoo bowls and treatment tables** covered or cleaned per client ([California § 990](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-990)).
- **Premises kept clean and in good repair**, with hair and waste never allowed to accumulate ([California § 994](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-994); Florida’s ventilation and cleanliness paragraph).
- **Restroom and lavatory standards:** Florida requires a toilet and a sink with running water, soap, towels or a dryer and a waste receptacle, kept clean, in good repair, well lit and ventilated.
- **Pedicure equipment** cleaned and disinfected after each client and at the end of each day, with the screens and jets included (Florida).

Rules change and differ by state, and this page is not legal advice. Before you quote, read your own state board’s sanitation rule and the inspection form it uses, and ask the owner what their last inspection flagged. If you have employees, OSHA’s [Hazard Communication standard](https://www.osha.gov/hazcom) applies to your company too: labels, safety data sheets and training for the chemicals your crew uses, kept separate from the salon’s own chemical program.

## How to price a salon cleaning account

Price a salon from a minimum visit time, not from its square footage. A 1,500-square-foot salon can have ten stations, four shampoo bowls, a color bar, a restroom and hair everywhere, and it takes longer than 1,500 square feet of office.

Walk the salon with the owner before you quote and note:

- Number of stations, shampoo bowls, nail tables, pedicure chairs and treatment rooms.
- Floor type (hair-friendly vinyl, sealed concrete, tile) and whether it has grout.
- Which stations are booth rentals that clean themselves.
- Opening hours, the cleaning window, alarm and keys.
- Nights per week, and whether a mid-week touch-up is wanted on busy days.
- Who supplies paper, soap and liners, and whether laundry is in scope (usually not).

Our [commercial cleaning calculator](https://broombook.com/tools/commercial-cleaning-calculator) has no salon setting; use the office rate and lower it to about 2,000 square feet per hour to allow for hair and stations, then apply a minimum visit of 1.5 to 2 hours. Those are Broombook’s planning assumptions, not measured standards. Time your first week and adjust.

### A worked example, with hypothetical numbers

A 1,800-square-foot hair salon cleaned five nights a week at a 1.5-hour minimum visit is 7.5 hours a week, about 32.5 hours a month at 4.33 weeks. At an $18 wage plus 20 percent payroll burden ($21.60 an hour), labor is about $702 a month. Add 5 percent for supplies ($35) and 15 percent for overhead ($105) for a cost near $842, and a 20 percent margin puts the monthly price around $1,050. Add the monthly floor scrub and the quarterly items as separate lines, and a nail salon’s filtered vacuum and extra dust time to the base.

The [commercial cleaning prices guide](https://broombook.com/guides/commercial-cleaning-prices) walks through each step, and the [cleaning proposal template](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-proposal-template) presents the two lists, yours and the staff’s, side by side so the owner sees exactly what the board will inspect and who covers it. Salons are usually sold owner to owner; our guide on [commercial cleaning contracts](https://broombook.com/guides/commercial-cleaning-contracts) covers the walkthrough, the proposal and the agreement, and the [cleaning contract template](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-contract-template) gives you the agreement to attach the scope to.

## Printable salon cleaning checklist summary

Print any list above with its Print button, or post this summary in the back room with a column for initials and the date.

| Area | Staff, between clients | Crew, nightly | Weekly | Monthly or quarterly |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Stations | Hair sweep, chair wipe, headrest cover, tools | Hair, mirrors, chairs, counters, bins | Chair bases, under stations | Walls behind stations, high dusting |
| Shampoo and color bar | Bowl cleaned after each shampoo | Bowls, faucets, drains, color bar, floor | Descale faucets and spray heads | Splash walls, grout |
| Nail area | Table wipe, pedicure basin after each client | Tables, lamps, chair exteriors, dust vacuum | Vents, purifier housings | Ventilation filters with the owner |
| Reception and retail | Tidy | Glass, desk, terminal, seating, shelves | Full-height shelves, window interior | Upholstery, exterior glass |
| Restroom and laundry | Linens into closed containers | Fixtures, refills, trash, floor | Descale, behind the machines | Grout, vents |
| Floors | Sweep after each client | Sweep or vacuum, damp-mop | Edges and under hydraulic bases | Machine scrub, refinish |

Build a version with your business name, the salon name and its own station count in the free [cleaning checklist maker](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-checklist-template). The [checklist library](https://broombook.com/tools/cleaning-checklists) has the other commercial lists, and the [medical office cleaning checklist](https://broombook.com/guides/medical-office-cleaning-checklist) is the closest match if the salon also runs a medspa or injectables room, where clinical surfaces stay with the practitioner.

## Where Broombook fits for a company that cleans salons

Broombook is booking, scheduling, reminders and checklists on the crew app for recurring service businesses. It fits a cleaning company whose work is mostly recurring visits and that cleans a few salons on fixed nights; it is not a janitorial bid and contract system.

Each salon sits on the same calendar as your recurring home clients, set up once as a weekly or every-2-weeks visit. The cleaner opens the visit from a private crew link with nothing to download, works through the checklist with photos, and clocks in and out from the phone, which feeds the payroll export. Access notes such as the alarm procedure and which stations are booth rentals are translated into Spanish, French or Portuguese for each cleaner.

It does not manage bids, build a per-site scope with nightly, weekly and quarterly frequencies, share inspection results, sync with QuickBooks or install from an app store. If commercial contracts are most of your business, compare tools on our [best cleaning business software](https://broombook.com/compare/best-cleaning-business-software) page, and see the [features](https://broombook.com/features) and [pricing](https://broombook.com/pricing) for what Broombook includes.

## Frequently asked questions

### What should be on a salon cleaning checklist?

Two lists. For licensed staff, between clients: tools disinfected, headrest covered, shampoo bowl cleaned, linens into a closed container, hair swept, pedicure basin disinfected. For the crew, nightly: stations, mirrors, chairs, color bar, nail tables, reception, restrooms, hair pickup and floors, plus weekly detail and monthly deep cleaning.

### Who is responsible for sanitation in a salon, the stylists or the cleaning company?

The salon license holder is responsible to the state board, and the board rules put tool disinfection, bowls, headrests, linens and pedicure equipment on the licensees between clients. A cleaning company handles the premises: floors, hair, surfaces, restrooms and trash. Write that split into the scope so an inspection finding lands with the right person.

### What disinfectant do salons have to use?

An EPA-registered disinfectant with bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal claims, mixed and used according to the label; Florida calls it a hospital-level or EPA-approved disinfectant and requires immersion for combs, brushes and metal instruments and at least ten minutes for pedicure basins. Check the exact wording in your state board rule.

### How often should a salon be cleaned?

Hair is swept and tools disinfected after every client; the full clean of stations, bowls, nail area, restrooms and floors happens every day the salon is open; chair bases, glass, descaling and dryer hoods weekly; high dusting, walls, floor scrubbing and grout monthly; ventilation filters and upholstery quarterly.

### How do you get hair out of a salon floor drain and shampoo bowls?

Pull the drain screen and remove the hair by hand with gloves every night, wipe the screen and put it back. Do not pour drain chemicals; they can damage traps, and the owner or plumber may not allow them. If a drain is slow after the screen is clear, report it to the owner.

### How much does salon cleaning cost?

It depends on the number of stations, bowls, nail tables and nights a week. Price from a minimum visit of about 1.5 to 2 hours a night rather than square footage; with hypothetical numbers, five nights a week at 1.5 hours comes to roughly $1,000 to $1,100 a month once labor, supplies, overhead and margin are added. Run your own figures in the commercial cleaning calculator.

## Sources

- [California Code of Regulations, Title 16 § 979: Disinfecting non-electrical tools (via Cornell LII)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-979)
- [California Code of Regulations, Title 16 § 978, § 987, § 990 and § 994: equipment, towels, shampoo bowls, cleanliness (via Cornell LII)](https://www.law.cornell.edu/regulations/california/16-CCR-994)
- [Florida Administrative Code 61G5-20.002: Salon requirements (Board of Cosmetology)](https://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleno.asp?id=61G5-20.002)
- [EPA: Selected EPA-registered disinfectants](https://www.epa.gov/pesticide-registration/selected-epa-registered-disinfectants)
- [OSHA: Hazard Communication](https://www.osha.gov/hazcom)

---

Broombook is scheduling, online booking and crew software for residential cleaning businesses. More guides for cleaning business owners: https://broombook.com/guides