In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, hygiene and cleaning protocols are more important now than ever. As Connecticut starts to reopen hair salons and barber shops, you’ll want to welcome your clients and employees into a clean, safe space.

Follow all the State guidelines for reopening, but start with some basics:

1. Train Your Salon Staff

Institute a free training program that ensures employee participation, with weekly updates and refreshers. Do it on company time so your staff is paid to be there and more likely to be eager to learn.

2. Clean and Disinfect Your Connecticut Hair Salon

Before you reopen, do a total and thorough cleaning of your entire space. From top to bottom. Include chairs and headrests, shampoo bowls, rolling carts, waiting spaces, walls, floors, and bathrooms. Wash all your shears, combs, brushes, tweezers, razors, and styling tools. Once everything has been washed, disinfect with a bactericidal, virucidal, or fugicidal.

Follow the Connecticut Department of Health on how to clean and disinfect salons:

• Brush off visible debris
• Wash surfaces with soap and water or appropriate cleaner
• Let surfaces dry completely before disinfecting
• Use an EPA-registered disinfectant (alcohol alone is not an acceptable)

3. Complete Self-Certification for Connecticut Businesses

Self-certify your salon and post your badge prominently in your salon for customers and staff to see. A voluntary act, self-certification says that you commit to follow recommended guidelines and procedures to keep your employees and clients safe. You can also use the badge on social media to advertise adherence to CT rules and build customer confidence.

4. Post Signs in Your Hair Salon

Put up signs that explain what you do to keep your salon clean and your customers safe. Policies might include:

• Visits by appointment only
• Social distancing, cleaning, and disinfection protocols
• Personal protection protocols (face masks, gloves) for customers and employees
• Employees shall stay home if sick or experiencing symptoms
• Customers shall not enter if they are experiencing symptoms

5. Increase Ventilation in Your Salon

Increase ventilation and the circulation of outside air where possible. Replace or clean air conditioning filters and clean vents. If you do not have AC, open doors and windows. You can also purchase and use a HEPA air filtration system.

6. Prep Your Workstations in the Hair Salon

• Make sure your Connecticut salon allows for social distancing with at least six feet between customers. Use signs and markers to make it easier for your customers and employees to understand
• Stagger workstations and shampoo bowls
• Install physical barriers where possible
• Ask customers to wait in cars until their appointment time; Close waiting rooms
• NO blow drying permitted
• NO lip waxing permitted
• Try not to share equipment as realistically as possible, but if you must, clean after each use

7. Remove Amenities from the Salon

Close or remove amenities that are not essential to your salon, including:

• Magazines, pamphlets, and books
• Customer-facing water and coffee machines
• Coat rooms

8. Install Touchless Appliances in the Salon

Opt for touchless appliances wherever possible to limit contact, including

• Contactless payments
• Soap and paper towel dispensers
• Trash cans

Salons and barbershops are high-contact so in normal circumstances, it’s hard to socially distance. But these aren’t normal times. Following rules developed by the State of Connecticut can limit risk to you and your clients.

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