Salon Owners Concerned About Lack Of Guidance On Reopening

CHICAGO (CBS) -- There is confusion among lawmakers and business owners like salon owners, for example. They don't know when they will reopen or what it will look like when they do.

CBS 2 is focused on helping Chicago get back to work, and CBS 2's Vince Gerasole is Working for Chicago, taking a look at the challenges ahead.

"The savings I have is dwindling with nothing coming in," said Mary Kendzora of Studio 164 in Bartlett.

"You are just wondering when you are going to get back," said Michele Daughterty.

Studio 164 is a small two-person salon. Owners Kendzora and Daughterty were already scaling back before the state forced businesses to close

"We decided only one works at a time," Kendzora said.

They walked Gerasole through the safety measures beyond masks and gloves they're set to put into place when they state lets them open again.

"We have encouraged clients to wash their own hair, to come in with their hair either wet or clean and dry" Kendzora said. "This way we can avoid the whole shampoo area of standing over them. We will have neck straps to put around, which are paper."

"We have our own aprons we will be using," said Daughterty. "We'll have new capes for every client." 

Maggie Bujak owns Pilorum Salon in Niles.

"Are we allowed to blow dry," she said. "Do people have to come with clean hair? What kind of PPE are we going to be required? What time frame will we have between clients?"

Beyond an opening date, she's concerned the state has yet to clarify rules for salons to reopen so they can prepare.

"No one can even gave us a timeframe of when to expect these guidelines," Bujak said.

Tuesday she formed the Facebook group ICUT, and 900 salon operators joined in 24 hours.

"We're scared that if they don't give us enough or proper guidelines, we're going to be liable if something goes wrong," Bujack said.

"I took it very seriously," said Kendzora

Stylists like Kendzora just want the state to try to better understand their industry.

"I can browse Home Depot for two hours. I can go to Jewel for as long as I want, but I can't open my salon," she said.

Salons in Illinois will be allowed to reopen when their region enters stage three. Right now most of the state is at stage two. What salon owners want to happen is to get those guidelines and understand what equipment or disinfectants they might need so they can be ready to open right away.

In Indiana salons have opened. Clients must make appointments, stylists are wearing masks, and work stations have to be at least six feet apart. Salons in Georgia were among the first to open. They actually recommend taking temperatures, and anyone with a temperature of of 99 degrees or more, client or stylist, needs to be sent home