How to Clean a Pedicure Foot Spa in Illinois: the IDFPR Procedure, Step by Step

What the rule covers

One subsection, (c), headed “Pedicure Equipment Cleaning and Disinfecting Procedures”. Its lead-in says the procedures, “as developed by the International Nail Technicians Association, shall be followed for all pedicure equipment, such as whirlpool pedicure foot spas, self-contained foot basins, sinks and pedicure bowls”. Three procedures follow, (c)(1) after each client, (c)(2) at the end of every day, (c)(3) once every week, each building on the one before: the end-of-day procedure begins by performing the after-client one, and the weekly begins by repeating the end-of-day one. The fourth paragraph, (c)(4), is the record. The rule does not mention pipe-less units or liners by name, and it asks for no sign.

The disinfectant the rule names

The after-client and end-of-day steps give a choice, in the rule’s own words: “either an EPA-registered disinfectant (demonstrated bactericidal, fungicidal, and virucidal activity used according to manufacturer’s instructions) or 10% bleach solution”. So an Illinois shop may spray an EPA-registered product whose label claims all three activities, used as its label says, or a 10% bleach solution. The weekly soak is more specific: “one tablespoon of 5.25% liquid household bleach (or the equivalent) for each one gallon of water based on the capacity of unit”. Two different bleach strengths, then: the 10% solution for the spray and the screen immersion, and the tablespoon-per-gallon mix for the overnight soak. Know the unit’s capacity in gallons; the weekly mix is measured against it.

After each client

“After each client”, in the order of 1175.115(c)(1):

1. “Drain all water from the foot spa, pedicure basin or bowl.”
2. “Clean the interior surfaces and walls of the foot spas or basin with soap or detergent to remove all visible debris; rinse with clean, clear water.”
3. “Disinfect by spraying the interior surface of the foot basin or bowl with either an EPA-registered disinfectant (demonstrated bactericidal, fungicidal, and virucidal activity used according to manufacturer’s instructions) or 10% bleach solution.”
4. “Wipe dry.”
5. Log it: After Each Client, on the Daily Log. That is ReadyPedi’s row; the rule names the daily log and does not list this cleaning by name.

The rule’s disinfecting step is a spray, not a circulation, and it names no contact time of its own; an EPA-registered product is used “according to manufacturer’s instructions”, which is where its contact time comes from. The rule states no contact time for the 10% bleach spray.

At the end of every day, after the last client

“At the end of every day, after the last client”, in the order of 1175.115(c)(2):

1. “Perform the procedures of subsection (c)(1)”: the full after-client procedure.
2. “Remove the screen from whirlpool basin. All debris trapped behind the screen of each foot spa shall be removed with a brush and soap or detergent; then the screen and the inlet shall be cleaned to remove all visible debris with soap or detergent and water.”
3. “Before replacing the screen, totally immerse the screen in either an EPA-registered disinfectant or 10% bleach solution.”
4. “Fill the basin with warm water and low-sudsing soap, turn the system on and flush the spa system for 5 minutes, then rinse and drain.”
5. Log it: End of Day, on the Daily Log.

The flush is five minutes with the system running, so the clock starts when the pump is on with the soapy water in the basin. The end-of-day row is separate from the last client’s after-client row; the rule lists the after-client procedure as the first step of the end-of-day one, not as a substitute for it.

Once every week

“Once every week”, in the order of 1175.115(c)(3):

1. “Repeat the procedures of subsection (c)(2); then fill the foot spa or basin with cold water and one tablespoon of 5.25% liquid household bleach (or the equivalent) for each one gallon of water based on the capacity of unit.” The repeat is the whole end-of-day procedure, including its after-client first step.
2. “Turn unit on and circulate the bleach solution through the system for 5 to 10 minutes; turn unit off.”
3. “Let the bleach solution sit in the spa or pedicure basin overnight (at least 6-10 hours).”
4. “The following morning, and before the first client, drain bleach solution.”
5. “Fill the basin with clean water, turn the system on and flush the system with clean water and drain.”
6. Log it: End of Day on the Daily Log for the first step, then Weekly on the Weekly Log. Both rows, that night.

Set a fixed night for it. Our guide to how often to clean a pedicure foot spa in Illinois explains how “once every week” is counted and why the Weekly Log should show it at seven-day intervals. The morning drain and flush are part of the weekly procedure, not a new cleaning: the row is the weekly’s, logged the night the soak starts, and ReadyPedi logs one row for it, as Texas, Florida and New Hampshire shops do for their overnight soaks.

Writing it down

The record paragraph, (c)(4), asks for “a record of the date and time of the weekly cleaning and disinfecting”, kept for the last ninety days, readily accessible to a client or inspector who asks, with “separate logs for weekly and daily procedures”, which may be kept in the same document. So the procedure above ends in two places: the weekly cleaning’s date and time on the weekly log (the record the rule names), and the daily procedures, end of day and after each client, on the daily log. The rule names no initials, no unit number and no disinfectant on the record; a sheet that shows who did it and which chair is good practice, not a requirement. Our guide to the printable Illinois pedicure cleaning log covers the record column by column, and the Illinois page has the rule next to the app.

What to keep at the chair

Each item below is one the rule’s steps assume is within reach:

ReadyPedi’s three taps at the chair log each cleaning with the time it was finished and the technician’s name, and the printed record puts the weekly rows on the Weekly Log and the rest on the Daily Log. A shop can start a free trial today.

Frequently asked questions

This guide explains Illinois’s foot-spa cleaning procedure in plain language and is not legal advice. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation’s rules are the authority on Illinois foot-spa cleaning and recordkeeping requirements.