Every salon and barbershop needs a simple, consistent hygiene routine: clean and disinfect tools between every client, wipe down surfaces through the day, and keep your disinfectant mixed and ready in a covered jar or spray. In the UK the two names you'll see most are Barbicide and Disicide. This guide explains what each is for, how to use them properly, and how to keep your station clean and compliant.
Why salon hygiene matters
Good hygiene protects your clients from cross-infection, protects your reputation, and is usually a condition of your insurance and your local authority's expectations for personal-care businesses. Visibly clean tools and a tidy station also reassure clients the moment they sit down. It's one of the cheapest, highest-impact habits in the salon — a few seconds per tool, every time.
Disinfectant, antiseptic or sanitiser — what's the difference?
- Disinfectant kills microbes on tools and hard surfaces — this is what Barbicide and Disicide are for.
- Antiseptic is used on skin, not tools.
- Sanitiser (such as hand gel) reduces microbes but isn't a substitute for properly disinfecting your implements.
For salon work you mainly need a tool disinfectant, a surface cleaner, and hand hygiene.
Barbicide: how to use it
Barbicide is the familiar blue disinfectant that combs, scissors, clipper guards and other metal and plastic tools are immersed in. In practice:
- Mix it to the dilution stated on the product label and fill a covered disinfecting jar — the tall jar sizes let you stand tools upright.
- Clean tools first (remove hair and debris), then fully immerse them for the contact time on the label — commonly around ten minutes — so the disinfectant can work.
- Change the solution regularly and whenever it looks cloudy or contaminated, and keep the jar lidded between uses.
Always follow the dilution and contact time printed on your Barbicide — those instructions are what make it effective. Browse the Barbicide range for jars and solution.
Disicide: how to use it
Disicide is a professional disinfection system that comes as a concentrate you dilute, plus ready-to-use sprays, wipes and jars. It's used on tools and surfaces in the same way — clean first, then disinfect for the stated contact time. Concentrate is the most economical route if you go through a lot: a 600 ml or 1500 ml bottle makes up many jars or spray bottles. If you're starting out, the 1000 ml kit with a spray bottle is an easy first buy. See the full Disicide range for jars, wipes and sprays.
What to disinfect — and how often
- Tools, between every client: combs, scissors, clipper guards, tweezers and similar implements — cleaned, then disinfected.
- Clippers and trimmers: brush out the hair, then spray and disinfect the blades between clients. Our guide to cleaning and oiling clippers covers the full routine.
- Surfaces, through the day: chairs, armrests, workstations and basins wiped down with a surface cleaner such as an all-purpose clean & care spray.
- Soft items: launder gowns and towels regularly, and use disposables (neck strips, capes) where it's quicker and more hygienic.
You'll find brushes, sprays and disinfectants for clipper hygiene in barbering accessories.
Jar, concentrate, ready-to-use or wipes — which to choose?
- Jar: for immersing tools in disinfectant — the core of most stations.
- Concentrate: the most economical option if you mix your own and refill jars and bottles.
- Ready-to-use spray: fast for surfaces and quick wipe-downs between clients.
- Wipes: convenient for speed and for surfaces when you're between back-to-back clients.
Most salons run a jar for tools plus a spray or wipes for surfaces.
Setting up a hygiene station
A tidy hygiene set-up usually includes a covered disinfectant jar, a surface spray, gloves, single-use disposables, hand hygiene and a covered bin. Stock these from salon hygiene, gloves and disposables.
Staying compliant in the UK
There's no single national hygiene “licence” for hairdressing, but disinfection is a core part of your health-and-safety duties and is often written into your insurance and any local registration you hold. As a baseline: follow the manufacturer's dilution and contact-time instructions, store and handle chemicals safely (COSHH applies to products like disinfectants), keep tools visibly clean and disinfected, and keep your station and laundry hygienic. Requirements can vary by council, so check your local authority's rules and your insurer's conditions for your specific services — this guide is general best practice, not legal advice.
Buying salon hygiene supplies at trade prices
Hairco & Beauty is a trade-only wholesaler, so Barbicide, Disicide, surface sprays and disposables are priced for the trade, with fast, tracked UK delivery. Open a free trade account to see trade pricing and earn Club Hairco points on everything you order.
FAQs
What is Barbicide used for?
Barbicide is a disinfectant for immersing salon and barber tools — combs, scissors, clipper guards and similar implements — to disinfect them between clients. Tools are cleaned first, then immersed in diluted solution for the contact time on the label.
How long do you leave tools in Barbicide?
Follow the contact time stated on the product label, which is commonly around ten minutes. The tools must be clean and fully immersed for the disinfectant to work properly.
What's the difference between Barbicide and Disicide?
Both are professional disinfectants for tools and surfaces. Barbicide is best known as the blue immersion solution for tools, while Disicide is a system of concentrate, sprays, wipes and jars. Many salons use whichever fits their routine — or both.
How often should salon tools be disinfected?
Between every client. Tools should be cleaned to remove hair and debris, then disinfected, before being used on the next person. Surfaces are wiped down through the day.
Do UK salons legally have to disinfect tools?
Disinfection is part of your health-and-safety responsibilities and is typically expected by your insurer and local authority, even though there's no single national hygiene licence for hairdressing. Check your local council's requirements and your insurance conditions for your specific services.
Where can I buy Barbicide and Disicide at trade prices in the UK?
Hairco & Beauty supplies Barbicide, Disicide and salon hygiene products to the trade at wholesale prices, with a free trade account and fast UK delivery.
Related guides
- How to clean and oil your hair clippers
- How to set up a barbershop: the kit checklist
- Best hair clippers for barbers
Shop salon hygiene at trade prices
Browse the salon hygiene range at Hairco & Beauty, or open a free trade account for trade pricing.
Written by Charlotte Read, Content Writer at Hairco & Beauty. Charlotte has over six years' experience in professional hair and beauty, and our guides are informed by colleagues with 100+ years of combined salon experience and by insight from the trade customers we supply. More about our content.
