Nail Salon Supply List: Everything to Stock Before Opening Day

A nail salon supply list is easiest to build one station at a time: manicure tables, pedicure chairs, sanitation and safety, the gel and dip bar, and the front desk. The items you will reorder most are disposables, such as spa liners, pedicure kits, files, buffers, gloves and slippers. Plan those by the number of services you expect, not by guesswork.

Below is a checklist for each station, a short equipment list and a table that turns one example salon’s first month into case quantities. Rules on disinfection and single-use items differ by state, so check with your state board before you buy.

Key takeaways

• Every pedicure uses one spa liner, one pedicure kit, one pair of slippers and one pair of gloves. Start your math there.
• Buy two or three sets of metal implements per technician, so one set can be cleaned and disinfected while another is in use.
• Set up sanitation before opening day: an EPA-registered disinfectant, labeled containers for clean and used tools, and a cleaning log for every pedicure spa.
• An example salon doing 20 pedicures and 20 hand services a day needs about 2 cases of liners, 3 cases of pedicure kits and 3 cartons of gloves in its first month.
• Files, buffers, sanding bands and sterilization pouches come in large packs, so one case can last for months.

Nail salon supply list by station

Work through this nail salon supply list one station at a time, and set up every station the same way so any technician can work at any table. Keep back stock in one closed storage room and refill the stations each morning.

Manicure station

• Disposable files: one per client. Mini disposable zebra files (80/80) come 5,000 to a carton. Add finer grits for natural nails, and check the grit printed on each file.
• Buffers: one per client, thrown away after the service.
• Cuticle pushers: wooden pushers are single-use. Metal pushers must be cleaned and disinfected between clients.
• Nippers and clippers: two or three pairs per technician, so a clean pair is always ready.
• Prep and polish: polish remover, lint-free wipes, cotton, cuticle softener, hand lotion, base coat, top coat and your color selection.
• Linens: a fresh towel for every client and a cushion or armrest for the table.

Put the same prep items at every table so results match from one technician to the next. Our guide on how to standardize nail prep across your salon team shows how.

Pedicure station

• Spa liners: one per pedicure. Our blue disposable spa liners measure 48 x 48 in and come 400 to a case.
• Pedicure kits: our 4-piece PE pedicure kit has a pumice pad, a 5 in zebra file (80/80), a buffer and a toe separator. Each set is individually packaged, 200 sets to a case.
• Slippers: one pair per client. Disposable foam flip flops come 360 pairs to a carton. Read more about hook slippers in pedicures.
• Callus files: jumbo or halfmoon pedicure files for heels, one per client.
• Metal implements: toenail clippers and nippers, with extra sets to rotate through disinfection.
• Products and linens: foot soak, scrub, callus softener, massage lotion and several towels per service.
• Paraffin (optional add-on): paraffin wax with plastic paraffin bags, or pre-filled paraffin foot masks, 144 to a case.
• Spa cleaning supplies: a scrub brush, soap or detergent, disinfectant and a log sheet for every chair. Our pedicure spa cleaning log and procedure covers each step.

Sanitation and safety

• Disinfectant: an EPA-registered disinfectant for tools and pedicure spas. Check the label for the EPA registration number, the directions for use and the contact time. The EPA’s page on registered disinfectants explains each one.
• Disinfectant containers: labeled, covered containers deep enough to fully immerse your tools.
• Clean and used storage: closed, labeled drawers or containers for clean tools, a separate container for used tools, and covered storage for new disposables.
• Gloves: a new pair for every client. Our latex gloves come 1,000 to a carton in sizes XS and S. OSHA’s nail salon guidance notes that nitrile gloves protect against many nail product chemicals, while latex or vinyl gloves are appropriate for acetone. Check each product’s safety data sheet and stock the glove types it calls for.
• Trash cans: metal cans with tight, self-closing lids at every station. OSHA recommends them for cotton and wipes soaked with nail products.
• Safety data sheets (SDS): one for each product, kept in a binder near where the products are used.
• Handwashing and first aid: soap and paper towels at every sink, a closed hamper for used towels and a stocked first-aid kit.
• Autoclave supplies (if you sterilize): self-sealing sterilization pouches, 200 to a box.

Anything that cannot be disinfected, such as most files, buffers, pumice, foam toe separators and sanding bands, should be used on one client and then thrown away. For the details, read can nail files be reused on clients.

Gel and dip bar

• Gel system: base gel, top gel, gel colors, cleanser and lint-free wipes.
• Dip system: dip base, top coats and any other liquids your system uses, plus powders. Our dip liquids, gels and top coats are in the gel and top coats category.
• E-file supplies: sanding bands, 10,000 to a case and one per client, plus bits you clean and disinfect between clients.
• Tips and glue: nail tips in every size and nail glue. Our 2 g glue tubes are single-application size, 250 to a box.
• Removal: acetone, foil wraps or clips, cotton and wooden sticks.

Front desk and retail basics

• A booking and point-of-sale system, a card reader and receipt paper.
• A printed service menu. Price each service from its supply cost; see how much to charge for a pedicure.
• Client intake cards with basic health questions. Refer clients with foot or nail concerns to a physician or podiatrist.
• Gift cards, business cards and appointment cards.
• A small retail shelf, such as cuticle oil, lotion and take-home files.
• A clipboard or spreadsheet for weekly stock counts.

Nail salon equipment list

Equipment is a one-time purchase, but it decides which supplies you need every week. Buy the basics first and add extras once you see which services sell.

• Manicure tables and chairs: one table, one technician chair and one client chair per station.
• Ventilation: vented tables or portable units that pull dust and vapors away from the work area. OSHA cites NIOSH lab tests showing that exhaust ventilation may cut chemical exposure by at least 50%. OSHA also suggests changing the charcoal filters in vented tables at least once a month, so put filters on your supply list.
• Pedicure spa chairs: with a technician stool for each. The tub design changes your cleaning steps, so ask for the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions before you buy.
• LED/UV lamps: one per gel station, plus a spare.
• E-files: one for each technician who does enhancements or gel removal.
• Disinfectant containers: one at each station and a larger one in the back room.
• Autoclave (optional): for salons that sterilize metal implements after cleaning, or where the state requires it. A UV cabinet is for storing tools that are already clean and disinfected; OSHA’s page on biological hazards in nail salons points out that UV boxes do not disinfect tools.
• Extras: towel warmer, paraffin warmer, polish dryer, a washer and dryer for towels, and closed shelving for back stock.

Starting quantities for your first month

Here is how to turn the nail salon supply list into case quantities for an example salon (hypothetical). Plug in your own chair count and expected services; the steps stay the same.

• 4 pedicure chairs × 5 pedicures a day × 26 open days = 520 pedicures a month.
• 4 manicure tables × 5 hand services a day × 26 days = 520 hand services a month. About half of them use an e-file (260).
• Every service uses one new pair of gloves: 1,040 services × 2 = 2,080 gloves.
• About 2 paraffin add-ons a day (52 a month) and, if you run an autoclave, one pouch per client tool set (1,040 a month).

Round up to whole cases for the first order, because you do not have real usage numbers yet. Toe separators come in the 4-piece kits, so buy loose separators only for services without a kit.

You can print this nail salon supply checklist and keep it by the storage room door.

At this volume, fast movers such as liners, kits, slippers and gloves use up a case in less than a month. Slow movers such as files, sanding bands and pouches are one-case buys that last for months. After two to four weeks of real counts, switch to par levels and reorder points; our guide to nail salon inventory management shows the formulas.

FAQ

What supplies are needed for a nail technician?

For manicures, a technician needs disposable files and buffers, cuticle pushers, two or three sets of nippers and clippers, polish or gel, gloves, towels and a covered container of EPA-registered disinfectant. Pedicures add liners, kits, slippers and callus files, and gel or dip work adds a lamp, an e-file and sanding bands.

What equipment do I need to start a nail salon?

Plan for manicure tables with chairs, pedicure spa chairs with stools, ventilation, LED/UV lamps, e-files and disinfectant containers. Add closed storage for clean tools and back stock. An autoclave is optional unless your state requires one for a service you offer.

What else goes on an opening a nail salon checklist?

Besides the nail salon supply list, plan for the lease and build-out, licenses for the salon and every technician, insurance, a booking system and written cleaning and disinfection steps. Ask your state board and your city or county business office which licenses and inspections apply before you sign a lease.

How many spa liners and pedicure kits do I need for a month?

Plan one of each per pedicure. Multiply pedicures per day by days open: 20 a day × 26 days = 520, which is 2 cases of 400 liners and 3 cases of 200 kits. Adjust after your first few weeks of real counts.

Do nail files and buffers have to be single-use?

Plan on it. Most files, buffers, pumice and foam toe separators cannot be cleaned and disinfected the way metal tools can, so use them on one client and throw them away. Your state board sets the exact rules, so check them before you open.

Once you know your chair count and service mix, the rest of your nail salon supply list is simple math. You can browse our disposables sold by the case, and if you have questions about pack sizes, call +1 (669) 696-7724, email contact@meskinail.com or reach us through our contact page.