November and December are notoriously busy months in the animal care industry. Whether you clip, bathe or board chances are you’ll be chasing your tail this time of year. While you are trying to find time to catch your breath, think how much wear and tear is being placed on your equipment.
Everything in your salon or boarding facility that has moving parts will likely need scheduled maintenance and the busier your place is the more frequent you should perform the maintenance; monthly, quarterly or annually. A good rule of thumb is to take stock of any equipment you use that has moving parts that may need to be oiled or rotated, etc. Equipment features vary from vendor to vendor so you can call the manufacturer (most have their contact info directly on the product) and ask if they have any tips for routine maintenance. It will help if you still have your invoice so you can give them the product numbers you purchased. My husband takes excellent care of everything we purchase. After each lawn mowing, he uses the air compressor to blow off the lawn mower blades and wipes off the dust and dirt from the surfaces and after any 4-wheeler excursion he takes the time to wash the dry the ATV. The goal is to keep everything looking as good as new, which is key to getting top dollar when it comes time to sell what you have in order to upgrade to a bigger/better model. Craig’s List is an excellent place to list anything you’re trying to sell; posting pictures of what you’re selling is key and will help you sell your items faster. I’m sure most of you have a closing routine that includes some type of cleaning schedule, but make sure it’s effective and your staff is really cleaning. It’s a great idea to assign who will clean what, specifically what products will be used and proper, effective cleaning techniques. If you’re cleaning anything stainless steel, it’s best to use a non-corrosive cleaner. I’ve heard of a product called TripleTwo which cleans, disinfects and deodorizes all in one application. January is a great time to do annual maintenance and remember “old houses mended cost less than new, before they’re ended” or something like that. Happy cleaning!
www.craigslist.com a great place to sell any of your items
www.htproducts.net to purchase TripleTwo a non-corrosive cleaner
www.samsclub.com to purchase Sprayway stainless steel cleaner
