Bathing of course is essential to the grooming process and accordingly to a groomer’s success. There are many opportunities to employ simple techniques to ensure effective, efficient and safe bathing.
Water composition/quality is a frequently overlooked determinant of successful bathing. Hard water or water with high levels of metals or certain minerals impedes lathering and the removal of dirt and debris from coats and skin. Minerals and/or metals can be deposited on the coats and skin during bathing resulting in an unwanted buildup of material on the animal’s skin and coat. This can also cause the coat to appear dull and be less manageable. Heavy metals in water can also be toxic over time for both animals and bathers.
These problems are easily resolved by conditioning or filtering water for bathing. While there are numerous categories of water filtration systems, two primary types are practical for groomers. Mechanical/absorption filtration systems which employ charcoal filter, and reverse osmosis systems are both effective. A mechanical system should be at least two stages with a prefilter in front of a charcoal filter. Fibrous prefilters are less expensive and capture larger particles and prevent the more expensive secondary charcoal filters, which are engineered to capture smaller particles, from getting contaminated and rendered ineffective prematurely.
Reverse osmosis systems are more complicated and expensive but require filter changes less frequently. They are
also generally larger even though some mechanical systems are quite large. Bathing with filtered/conditioned water
will allow all shampoos to function more effectively, reduce the need for second baths and result in greater efficiency and grooming quality.
Shampoo dilution and application are also important issues. Unless a groomer is using a bathing system, virtually all shampoos should be diluted for efficiency and value. Dilution is best achieved by adding shampoo to water in a sterile dilution container. Putting the shampoo in the container first results in dynamic tension binding the shampoo to the bottom of the container slowing the dilution process.
Dilution ratios for each shampoo product will of course differ but the object is to use as much shampoo as necessary yet as little as possible to reduce cost. Diluted shampoo sprayed or poured from the back of the head down a wet dog’s back to the tail should flow down the sides without excess product running down the tub drain. Undiluted shampoo applied to the animal takes longer to dilute and spread, longer to work in and longer to rinse as well.
There is some controversy over the value of lather. Lather is very helpful in that it lifts excess oils and dirt from
coats to the surface to be rinsed away. Absent sufficient lather, such oils and dirt tend to remain sequestered in the
coat preventing thorough cleaning. Well formulated shampoos provide rich effective lather that simultaneously rinses easily.
Grooming areas are microbe rich environments. Cross-contamination onto and between animals can be
minimized with simple procedures/ precautions. Cleaning and sterilizing the entire grooming area regularly is
important. Shampoo dilution containers should be sterilized between filling cycles and care should be taken to not
allow contamination between filling cycles to prevent cross-contamination of pathogens.
Shampoo selection of course is critical. There is no perfect shampoo for every bathing application. It is important
to try to find shampoo products that provide the best intrinsic value. The pet shampoo manufacturing business is
largely unregulated. Accordingly, it is not uncommon to see advertising claims not supported by fact. If the manufacturer claims concentration ratios of up to 50 or 100 to 1, test the product at the claimed ratios for functionality. If the product diluted to its advertised ratio behaves like water, it might be time to reconsider its cost-effectiveness. Not every shampoo manufacturer will have the best product in every category. It can be wise to search for the best everyday shampoo as well as the best specialty products even if it means using products from several different manufacturers.
by Greg Crisp, President Double K Industries
