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Health & Hygiene Requirements for Cleaning & Maintenance of Foot Spas

A dirty foot spa has been linked to at least one death. A California woman died after battling a bacterial infection, which may have come from a foot spa. In response to growing concerns, states all over the country have moved to protect spa patrons by imposing strict health and hygiene requirements for cleaning and maintenance of foot spas.

  1. After Each Client

    • After each client, a worker must drain the water from the spa, remove any visible debris, clean the surfaces with detergent and rinse it with clean water. After he drains the spa, he must fill it with clean water, add a hospital grade liquid disinfectant and turn the jets on, letting the disinfectant circulate for 10 minutes. The disinfecting process protects you against staph, salmonella and other bacteria. Then he will drain and rinse the spa with clean water. At this point it is ready for another client. Some states require that the salon keep a cleaning and disinfection log for each foot spa.

    Nightly Cleaning

    • A spa worker must remove any detachable parts from the foot spa. After using a brush to scrub these parts with soap or disinfectant she should rinse them and return them to their place. She must then fill the basin with clean water and disinfectant, turn the whirlpool jets on, and let the water circulate through the unit for 10 minutes. She drains and rinses the spa to complete the required nightly cleaning.

    Bi-Monthly

    • "Nails magazine" recommends that salons do an in depth cleaning of pedicure spas every other week. A worker should let a solution of 5.25 percent bleach and clean water circulate through the foot spa for five to 10 minutes. The solution should have a teaspoon of bleach for each gallon of water. After 10 minutes, he should turn the whirlpool off and let the solution sit over night. In the morning a worker must drain and flush the system with clean water before using the spa.

    Client Evaluation

    • A therapist should check the condition of your legs and feet before asking your to immerse them in the foot spa. You should not use a foot spa if you have any open wounds, such as insect bites, scratches or scabs. You should not use a foot spa after having a waxing or shaving, since openings in your skin make you vulnerable to infection. Never immerse feet in a foot spa directly after a pedicure. Your therapist may have accidentally cut your cuticles or caused other abrasions during the service. When evaluating sanitation habits at your salon, ask workers how often they maintain the foot spas. If they cannot answer, they may not maintain them to standards.

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