THE HYGIENE FACTS
What the health guidelines say
Australian health departments take barbershop hygiene seriously, and for good reason.
01
Shared tools can spread infection
NSW Health warns that bacterial infections like impetigo and fungal infections like tinea and ringworm can spread when tools and equipment aren't cleaned between clients.
02
Every tool, every client
Guidelines say clippers, scissors, combs and brushes should be cleaned between every client, with clean linen for each new person. Anything exposed to blood must be properly sterilised before reuse.
03
Treat every nick as a risk
SA Health requires operators to treat all blood and body substances as potential sources of infection, and names blood-borne viruses including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and HIV as risks of poor infection control.
Most barbers do the right thing. Your own kit just means you never have to rely on it. Your tools are only ever used on you.