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How to Clean a Tanning Bed? – Ultimate Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners

by  Doris Harris -  Last Updated On 9th August 2021

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Sometimes people need that sunbaked tan look to instill confidence and level up their style at work, home, or when out having fun. Perhaps it’s winter or the sky has seemed to be overcast forever and the beach is not an option. This is where a tanning bed comes into play.

Tanning beds are a viable solution to getting that natural-looking tan faster. Plus they are much more convenient than conventional methods.

But what happens when you need to thoroughly clean your tanning bed? Whether you’re a tanning salon owner or enthusiast, cleaning your tanning bed is a priority, and knowing how to do it right is key.

Below is the detailed process including how often you need to clean your tanning bed, the equipment required to perform the job, and the step-by-step process of how to get it done correctly.

How Often Do I Do It?

If you’re a new tanning bed owner who has yet to master all of the tips for maintaining your precious machine, then finding out exactly when to clean your tanning bed should be a priority for you.

All tanning beds in a store or at home should be sanitized after every single use and should be disinfected daily.

Every tanning bed owner should perform a simple clean every 2 to 5 months and a deep clean once a year depending on how frequently it is being used.

*** During a deep clean you should also change your tanning bed lamps. ***

Equipment Needed

When taking on the potentially daunting task of sanitizing, simple cleaning, or deep cleaning your tanning bed(s), it’s good to know everything that is needed to get the job done right.

Here is a list of all the materials that are essential to efficiently sanitize and disinfect your tanning bed daily:

  • Gloves
  • Goggles
  • Surgical Mask/face covering
  • Certified tanning bed cleaner (not with alcohol or ammonia due to potential damage to your machine)
  • Homemade cleaner using all necessary ingredients (Instructions below)
  • Disinfectant spray
  • Moist towel

Here is the list of all the materials that are essential to efficiently perform a simple clean on your tanning bed:

  • Gloves
  • Goggles
  • Surgical Mask/face covering
  • Vacuum/shop vac
  • Dry microfiber cloth

And finally, the deep clean items:

  • Gloves
  • Goggles
  • Surgical mask/face covering
  • Philips head screwdriver
  • New lamps
  • Vacuum/shop vac
  • Dry microfiber cloth

Safety Procedures

Remember that when deep cleaning or simply cleaning your tanning bed you want to make sure there is adequate space around you and the machine to avoid any injury or unnecessary incidents.

Always wear protective goggles, gloves, and a face covering to avoid dust particles and droplets of cleaners entering the body through your eyes, nose, or mouth. Unless you’re working with someone who is instructing you on how to take apart the machines, then it’s best to have one person in the room at a time while cleaning the unit(s).

If you have several machines to clean, perform the maintenance on each one separately, and inspect all of your work after you finished to ensure the reassembly of the machines went according to plan.

The 3 Step-By-Step Stages

Any degree of cleaning your tanning bed or beds can change depending on what the situation calls for. There is the sanitizing and disinfecting stage, the simple cleaning stage, and finally, the deep cleaning stage.

It’s ideal to understand the differences between these cleaning methods and how to perform each one as accurately as possible.

Sanitization and the First Stage

Sanitizing should be performed once after every use.

Step 1: Put on protective equipment.
Step 2: Apply tanning bed cleaner to the inside of the bed where an individual would lay down. Refrain from alcohol or ammonia-based cleaners to avoid machine damage.
Step 3: Spray sanitizer solution in a spritz bottle or repurposed and thoroughly cleaned cleaner-spray bottle. Leave to sit for 1 to 1.5 minutes.
Step 4: Wipe down with a moist towel.
Step 5: Spray disinfectant and leave to sit for 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure after the allotted time the sprayed solution remains wet.
Step 6: Wipe with a moistened towel.
Step 7: Inspect your work.

Simple Cleaning and the Second Stage

A simple clean should be performed once every 2 to 5 months.

Step 1: Put on protective equipment.
Step 2: Turn off and unplug the power to the tanning bed.
Step 3: Using the product manual online or in a booklet find out where filters and light sockets are.
Step 4: Take out all acrylics and lamps.
Step 5: Use a shop vac or standard vacuum hose to clean any dust inside the machine.
Step 6: Clean and wipe all acrylics and lamps during reassembly with the dry microfiber cloth.
Step 7: Inspect your work.

Deep Cleaning and the Third Stage

A deep clean should be performed once every year.

Step 1: Put on protective equipment.
Step 2: Turn off and unplug the power to the tanning bed.
Step 3: A majority of lay-down beds have a removable top, so use your machine manual to find out where the filters are located.
Step 4: Depending on your machine either unscrew, unlatch, or unlock the cover and remove it.
Step 5: Remove all acrylics and lamps.
Step 6: Find out where the fans and electronics are located. Vacuum all component areas in boxes or behind lamp reflectors.
Step 7. Vacuum all other areas of the unit.
Step 8: Properly dispose of old lamps.
Step 9: Wipe down all acrylics and new lamps with a dry microfiber towel before reassembling.
Step 10: Replace the cover and inspect your work.

The Bottom Line

Tanning beds are amazing machines that help anyone who uses them get a natural-looking tan in a fraction of the time it would normally take. These delicate units also require adequate maintenance to ensure they are kept up to standards for personal use or tanning salon businesses.

There are three different methods of cleaning a tanning bed with different points in time where each way makes sense. Whether you’re sanitizing, simple cleaning, or deep cleaning, knowing how and when to perform the procedure is important to taking care of things efficiently.

Using this step-by-step guide, let the worry or concern of maintaining your tanning bed be a thing of the past, and rest assured knowing all the ins and outs of proper tanning bed cleaning procedures.

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