MILWAUKEE — No matter if customers are in Milwaukee or any of its surrounding communities, anyone looking for a haircut will have to abide by new rules.
At Hairitage Barbershop and Salon, customers were met with the smell of cleaning supplies as they walked in, one-by-one, for their haircuts.
Barb Sorenson, its owner, said she enjoyed time off, but it was time to get back to work.
“It’s fantastic. It really is," she said. "The last two days, when we knew things were back up and running, I was in the shop answering phones.”
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Like Barb, many other shops throughout the county are preparing to jump back into business with the new rules in place.
At Hairitage, only one person is allowed in. Sorenson said she takes 15 minutes between each appointment to sanitize the door handles, inside and out, after each transaction.
"Even prior to the coronavirus, I liked keeping the shop clean," Sorenson said.
Saturday, City of Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett teamed up with Barbicide, a leader in salon and barbershop disinfectant solutions, for a webinar on best practices on treating hair while being safe.
“Remember, the person most at risk is you -if you’re the stylist, the barber, the nail tech or whatever your focus is," said Leslie Roste, RN, on behalf of Barbicide.
Key points in the presentation included avoiding physical payments, cleaning common areas and removing non-essential items, like drinking water stations. Those measures were just a few mentioned to help people from making contact with the same surfaces.
Making customers feel comfortable was also mentioned. Showing customers they, the stylist, or barber is being safe could help keep business.
"It is important for you to recognize your clients may be uncomfortable to raise that bar but they may not come back," Roste said.
In Milwaukee County only one client is allowed in per employee. Staff willl need to wear masks, and clients must wear one whenever possible.
Staff and clients will need to be screened for COVID-19 symptoms before coming in.
Work stations must be sanitized after each client.