What Are the Causes of Dirty Tanning Beds?

Health Regulations

• In Illinois, the state General Assembly declared that all tanning bed surfaces which are touched by the clients must be sterilized after every use with a registered disinfectant approved by the United States Environmental Agency, as well as all cloth towels used for cleaning and drying the tanning beds. However, not all states have adopted the same regulation, and it is nearly impossible to monitor or enforce the policy for all tanning business in the regulated states. States are not bound to adopt tanning bed regulations and many states have no law on their books in regard to tanning bed care.

Management Demographic

• Most indoor tanning bed facilities are located near or on college campus grounds. Even if they are not, more often than not, young adults are placed in charge of working in or perhaps managing the tanning salon. Though it's not always a good idea to stereotype, the fact remains that most teenagers or young adults do not tend to focus on cleaning, as much as they focus on client interaction or the commission aspect of sales. Even when proper tanning bed cleaning is taught and expected, it is likely to be ignored unless a client requests a cleaning or has a complaint about the condition of the tanning bed.

Tanning Bed Conditions

• A dirty or unsanitary tanning bed is not something to be taken lightly; in fact, it should be taken very seriously. Potential risks from a dirty tanning bed include warts, HPV and herpes, just to name a few. All of these conditions flourish in warm, moist environments. Tanning beds contain both of these conditions when in use. The tanning bed is in a warm to hot setting, which induces sweating, and therefore creates the warm and wet environment on the tanning bed. If you are an indoor tanner, you should be aware of the risks.

Tanning Bed Precautions

• Individuals who do not wish to cease from getting a fake bake may want to opt for a safer, cleaner version of indoor tanning. Many tanning salons now offer a spray-on tan. This means the client remains in a standing position in an enclosed area or room while hundreds of tiny jets spray on a tanning compound. The disadvantage to this option is that spray tans tend to be more expensive because less time is involved and, depending on the type of spray tan opted for, it can last much longer than a tan obtained by lying on a tanning bed, under hot lamps.