How to Extend the Life of Your Tanning Bed Acrylics
By Sun Tanning Store | Published: 2026-10-15
Category: Tips & Care
Protect tanning acrylics with a simple care routine: clean gently, avoid heat and chemicals, and know when replacement is the smarter move.
Quick answer
Clean acrylics after every session with a mild, non-abrasive cleaner and a soft cloth, keep heat and weight off the surface, and store spare sheets flat. Those three habits prevent most clouding and cracking. When scratches or haze block UV transmission, replacement is the practical fix rather than more polishing.
Why acrylics age faster than the rest of the bed
Acrylic is the part of a tanning bed that takes the most daily punishment: skin oils, sweat, spray products, cleaner residue, and constant UV exposure all sit on the same sheet. Over time that combination dulls the surface and reduces how much UV reaches the tanner, which is why salons notice sessions feeling weaker before anything actually breaks.
Daily cleaning that does not shorten acrylic life
Wipe the bench and canopy after every client with a cleaner made for acrylic and a microfiber cloth. Spray the cloth, not the sheet, so liquid does not run into the frame or sit in one spot. A second dry pass removes residue that would otherwise bake on under the lamps.
- Avoid alcohol-heavy or ammonia cleaners, abrasive pads, and paper towels, which leave fine scratches.
- Never let cleaner pool at the edges; trapped moisture is a common cause of edge crazing.
- If a client used a spray tan or heavy lotion, clean immediately rather than at end of day.
Heat, weight, and storage mistakes to stop
Acrylic softens with heat and flexes under load. Leaving a bed in direct sun, stacking items on the bench, or letting clients sit on the acrylic instead of the frame all create stress marks that turn into cracks. Spare sheets should stay flat in a cool, shaded spot, because rolling or leaning them against a wall can set a permanent bend.
When care is not enough and replacement makes sense
Once a sheet is visibly hazy, deeply scratched, or cracked near a mounting hole, cleaning and polishing only delay the problem. Replacement acrylic is model-specific, so match the exact bed before ordering. For example, the Amerisun 24 replacement acrylic is made for Amerisun 24 beds, the ProSun Supreme sheet fits only the ProSun Supreme, and the Sunquest Pro 24R Prior acrylic is cut for the 1995 model. Premium rigid sheets ship flat rather than rolled, which avoids the waviness that lower-grade rolled acrylic can arrive with.
Your acrylic care routine, step by step
- Clean after every session: Mist a mild acrylic-safe cleaner onto a microfiber cloth and wipe the bench and canopy, then dry with a second cloth. Checkpoint: the surface should look clear, not streaky or tacky.
- Inspect for haze and scratches weekly: Hold a light at an angle across the sheet. Fine scratches are normal; cloudy patches that stay after cleaning are not. If haze covers a large area, start pricing replacement instead of polishing.
- Keep heat and weight off the acrylic: Do not set towels, product bottles, or clients directly on the bench surface, and keep the bed out of direct sunlight. Common mistake: using the bench as a shelf between clients.
- Store spare sheets flat and shaded: Lay spare acrylic horizontally on a clean, padded surface in a cool room. Never lean it against a wall or roll it. Checkpoint: a flat sheet drops into the frame without force.
- Replace when care stops working: Order the sheet made for your exact bed model and year, and install it with the protective film removed only after it is seated. Next step: verify the model number on the frame before ordering.
Replacement acrylics worth knowing
- Amerisun 24 Tanning Bed Replacement Acrylic: Premium grade rigid replacement acrylic for Amerisun 24 Tanning Beds, shipped flat rather than rolled. Flat shipping helps the sheet sit evenly, so you are not fighting a curve when you install it.
- ProSun Supreme Tanning Bed Replacement Bench Acrylic: Replacement bench acrylic made specifically for the ProSun Supreme Tanning Bed; order includes one sheet. Model-specific fit means less trimming and a cleaner seal at the frame.
- Sunquest Pro 24R Prior Tanning Bed Replacement Acrylic (Year 1995): Premium grade rigid replacement acrylic for the Sunquest Pro 24R Prior Tanning Bed made in 1995, available as canopy or bench. Older beds have fewer compatible parts, so confirming the year before ordering avoids a return.
