The Constant
Starting at Impressions front desk in 2006 when he was 19 years old, General Manager Paul Petrowsky is a seasoned professional who owner Sarah Taylor says is responsible for much of her own success.
by Stacey Soble
Cleanliness Goes One Step Further with Air Cleaning Systems
When you're dealing with an airborne virus, traditional cleanliness measures may not be enough. Owners discuss the reasons they implemented air cleaning systems.
November 11, 2021
Getty Images
4 min to read
Cleanliness became the new luxury as salons reopened after their shutdown. There were detailed schedules assigning regular and visible wiping downs of surfaces, new technology to help systems go touchless, a ready box of masks for clients to grab at the front desk and more space as salons socially distanced.
Even with all the precautions salons took, there was fear that the inside air was acting host to virus molecules—what you couldn’t see could terrify you.
Solution to the invisible enemy
“We’ve constructed a new paradigm in sanitation,” says Terry McKee, owner of the Nuovo Salon Group in the Sarasota, Florida, area. “Many of us were pretty conscientious about our cleanliness before Covid, but I think we’ll remain even more so. For all three of our salons, we invested in air cleaning systems. We studied freestanding units but chose a system that is integrated in the HVAC. We told our guests that now the air was filtered even more than it had been.”
It was still early in the pandemic when Jeff South reopened his three Intrigue Salon locations in the Atlanta market after five weeks of being closed. Like McKee, he concluded that an air cleaning system would best protect his staff and guests. The peace of mind didn’t come cheap, but $50,000 later all Intrigue Salons had clean air provided by Synexis.
“Synexisis a bio-defense system that will knock out anything—microorganisms like influenza, Norovirus, Coronavirus, and mold,” South says. “It continually cleans the air with hydrogen peroxide, which our lungs naturally contain. The Synexis crew comes in and tests the walls for microbes from floor to ceiling to let you know whether you have germs in your place. For us, the level was nearly zero.”
Intrigue was the first salon group in the world to install Synexis, which was gaining favor with hospitals, schools, and restaurants. South promoted the new layer of safety to the salons’ guests, telling them that the air was filtered even more thoroughly than it had been before COVID.
Layers of protection
The “layer” aspect is important to South—making sure clients know that the salon prioritizes safety in every way possible.
“We’re seeing 110-120 clients/day,” South says. “That’s a lot of people in and out.” While they may not be able to see the air being cleaned, they can spot all the rest of the safety precautions.
“We have a cleaning service coming every night just as they did pre-pandemic, but now they do more than just sweep and clean up,” South notes. “Our stylists wipe down their stations after every client, including the neck spots on the shampoo bowls. In an old-school twist, we keep a timer that dings every 45 minutes, signaling it’s time for our front desk people to wipe down the doorknobs and surfaces. We also have lots of sanitizer dispensers activated by foot pedals.”
As data rolled out about the transmission of the virus, South relaxed a bit of the regimen. “At the beginning we went overboard,” he recalls. “We put a different cape on every client, and our whole team wore gloves.”
With that initial fear in the past, South feels good that the air cleaning system seems to be doing the job.
How it works
Synexis Vice President Russ Stephens says the company’s patented Dry Hydrogen Peroxide (DHP) technology is key to the effectiveness of the Synexis system.
“Synexis essentially creates an immune system for a controlled environment to reduce airborne and surface microbes, generating low concentrations of dry hydrogen peroxide in a pure gas form,” Stephens explains. “We take the ambient air and humidity that is already in the environment, rip it apart, and put it back together at 5 to 25 parts per billion. Wherever air goes, the system goes and decontaminates—24/7, 365 days of the year. DHP becomes part of the environment and starts to combat the pathogens as soon as they enter the building, even if they’re in hard-to-reach areas. It is a simple process with a big output, an organic technology that provides a continuous solution within an environmental strategy.”
South is convinced by the results. While he can’t be sure whether individual clients have had the virus, South says his salons have not had a single outbreak of Covid-19.
Subscribe to Our Newsletter
More Salon Management
The Most Wonderful Time in Salons and Spas
Planning is in full swing for the most anticipated events and promotions for the 2026 holidays. As owners share their favorite ways to celebrate, they prove that a carefully planned event can also build culture, increase client loyalty, boost sales, and set a business up for a successful 2027.
by Stacey Soble
Leading with Empathy, Humility and a Mastery of Systems
When things run amok at Mane Attraction Salon, Owners Chris and Jenny Knudsen say General Manager Sami Hernandez is their go-to resource and ultimate sounding board. Meet Sami in this installment of Meet the Manager.
by Stacey Soble
Pagoda Brings AI-Powered Operations to Skinovatio Medical Spa Locations
Pagoda, a new AI-native operating system for scheduling, payments, patient records, marketing, and client communications, launches at Skinovatio Medical Spa in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
by Staff
How Women are Rewriting the Rules of Grey Hair
At a panel discussion hosted by L’Oréal Professionnel in Paris in early July, French Philosopher Sophie Galabru explored the cultural shift where women are increasingly choosing natural, personalized color results over traditional grey coverage. In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Galabru and L’Oréal Professionnel Colorist Pierrick Beringer discuss this shift and how salons and colorists respond.
by Stacey Soble
Warm Leadership and Analytical Precision
At Salon Blonde, Director of Operations treats the staff as the salon's most important guests, while her wonderful 'nerdy' side, loves data, systems, and numbers. Find out how she makes Salon Blonde tick.
by Stacey Soble
Trotting the Globe, Forging Connections, Fostering Artistic Creativity
In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Salon Owner Salvatore Minardi reflects on his past 18 months as Intercoiffure America Canada's World Talent Exchange Ambassador and how his experiences will help encourage cultural and artistic exchange and support greater engagement between ICA and the global organization Intercoiffure Mondial.
by Stacey Soble
Client Retention Guidebook
Everything you need to know about client retention as a salon owner.
Success Grown from Within
Owner Shelby Bills says her general manager, Sydney Osborne, reminds her of the power of leading with heart. Find out how Osborne became a great leader in our lastest installment of Meet the Manager.
by Stacey Soble
How Salon Leaders Can Process the Pain and Lead Forward When a Team Members Leaves Unethically
In her latest blog, Kati Whitledge identifies the five stages salon owners go through when a team member leaves the salon unethically, offering advice for each stage.
How AI Is Closing Revenue Gaps for Salons and Spas
The beauty and wellness businesses pulling ahead aren’t just working harder—they’re using AI to capture demand, personalize pricing, and convert more of every guest interaction into revenue. Here’s what the benchmark data reveals about the growing gap between AI adopters and everyone else.
Sponsored by Zenoti
The Premium Talent Magnet: The Modern Salon Playbook for Attracting Six-Figure Stylists
Stop chasing recruitment ghosts on generic job boards and start curating an elite team. Discover the framework that top-tier salons use to bypass phone tag, automate visual portfolio vetting, and attract high-earning, culture-first beauty professionals directly through real-time messaging. Turn your recruitment process into an exclusive brand invitation that keeps your highest-ticket chairs permanently filled.
Sponsored by Beautista
Five Revenue Leaks Hiding in Your Salon
Your calendar looks full, but is all of that demand actually converting to revenue? From phantom rebookings to underpriced peak hours, the 2026 Benchmark Report exposes five revenue leaks that most beauty and wellness businesses don’t even know they have.
Sponsored by Zenoti
The Heartbeat of Zandi K's Success
After moving to Colorado and teaching at a cosmetology school, Allison Stock joined Zandi K as a stylist, eventually becoming part of the Leadership Team, Education Team and Master Bridal Team. Today, as Director of Operation, Stock is Owner Nicki Wenz's right hand, managing human resources and operations, education and career development, and coaching and culture.
by Stacey Soble
Rethinking Retail in the Era of E-Commerce
In a world dominated by e-commerce, salon owners push back with proven strategies to increase retail sales while motivating team members to educate their clientele and delighting clients with retail-themed events and clever merchandising displays.
by Stacey Soble
The Harper Ellis Hair Co. Certification Program Teaches Stylists a Smarter, Safer Way to Install Extensions
The company's Concealed Bead Method is raising the bar for what professional extension education can deliver.
by Staff
The Micro-Salon Blueprint: How Kat Scott Quadrupled Income by Maximizing Her Suite
Scott maximized her micro-salon by transitioning from stylist to strategic owner, focusing on recruiting and station-sharing. By prioritizing her ownership role over behind-the-chair work, she grew her team to six stylists within the two-chair, 150-square-foot space before eventually moving to a larger facility.
by Staff