Safety First – COVID-19 Safety

First: Prevent the Spread of the Virus

Wash your hands as often as possible. Avoid any close contact with people and always cover your nose and mouth with an effective face mask. Don’t forget to cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. Clean and disinfect any surfaces before using them as well as any that you have touched. It’s best to monitor your health daily. For better protection, wear a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). A safe workplace provides proper instructions, procedures, training, and supervision to encourage colleagues to work safely and responsibly. As a professional cleaner, you are going to enter environments that may already be infected. 

Equipment to use: 

Face Masks – The face is the most vulnerable part of your body, and you need to protect it well. You would also need masks, face shields, and goggles to protect them. 

Gloves – Hand protection is mandatory when entering unknown places. Gloves are a must when on a job. 

Personal Protecting Equipment (PPE)– Disposable overalls while on the job are mandatory. If clients know that you follow every protection measure we addressed above, it is more likely that they’ll pick you instead of your competition. 

Control– When communication is needed between you and your client, it must be handled via phone, video, or text. While on the job, advise your client to stay at a safe distance until you finish the job. Invoices should be handled electronically where possible. 

Take note: If the client is not tech-savvy, you should ask them where you should place or leave the documents to reduce the interaction between each side. If you have a Google My Business profile, you should post about your company’s COVID-19 response. Showing your clients that you have taken action to handle the situation increases your chances of getting more leads. 

Cleaning Specific Control: Assign one person per job. Provide full personal protective equipment (PPE) to your employees and advise them to stay at a safe distance from their clients. Carpet Cleaning Service Providers and Carpet Cleaning Contractors must follow everything recommended for the cleaning industry. CDC highly recommends cleaning all surfaces that you have interacted with to help stop the spread of viruses. 

For carpet cleaning, recommend the following: “For soft (porous) surfaces such as carpeted floors, rugs, and drapes, remove visible contamination if present and clean with appropriate cleaners indicated for use on these surfaces.” 

Carpet cleaners must use EPA-approved products to effectively use against the virus, which is also suitable for soft (porous) surfaces. 

Janitorial Service Providers– As part of the cleaning service providers, janitors must also follow the CDC recommendations. Janitors are front liners during the COVID-19 crisis. These professionals handle dangerous chemicals to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but that may compromise their health. 

Some products may cause skin irritation, for example, rashes and burns. So, it’s a must for janitors to wear personal protective gear not only to protect themselves from the virus but also from the products that they are using. For large areas, janitors should use machines that help them make their job easier. At the beginning of the work shift, it is mandatory to spray your machines with a sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol. 

Safety measures to protect your employees: Assign one person per job and have one machine per person. All employees should wear PPE.