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Coronavirus and Laundromats- How Laundromat Owners Should Respond
AAdvantage Laundry Systems is closely monitoring the Coronavirus / COVID-19 news and health recommendations. This pandemic has influenced nearly every aspect of our everyday lives including the operation of our laundromats.
Laundromats are essential to our neighborhoods due to the vital public health services they provide. AAdvantage Laundry Systems and the Coin Laundry Association recommend the following eight tips for laundry business owners to help keep their patrons and staff healthy.
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CLEAN & SANITIZE
Clean and sanitize your laundromat facility regularly. Wipe down all washers, dryers, door handles, laundry carts, folding tables, coin changers, and other surfaces multiple times per day. Use disinfecting products, wear gloves, and wipe in one direction to reduce the risk of surface recontamination.
SOCIAL DISTANCING
Limit the number of customers in your laundromat and provide at least 6 feet of space between laundry folding tables and seats to encourage social distancing.
SICK LEAVE
Require laundry staff who are sick to stay at home. Now is a good time to reassess your sick leave and health policies to ensure they are flexible and aligned with current recommendations from the CDC and other health organizations.
PROVIDE HAND SOAP/ SANITIZER
Provide plenty of soap and hand sanitizer for appropriate hand washing and post signs that encourage employees and patrons to wash their hands often. According to the CDC guidelines, the sanitizer should contain at least 60% alcohol. Hands should be washed with soap and hot water for at least 20 seconds.
PROMOTE ADVANCED FEATURES
Provide and encourage advanced features — such as Ozone, hot water washes, pre-washes, extra rinse cycles and extended dry cycles. These kill germs and help customers achieve maximum cleanliness.
POSTPONE EVENTS
Consider postponing or canceling special activities that include direct person-to-person contact. This includes: laundromat grand openings, free laundry day or other non-essential events. Currently, it is recommended that activities be restricted to 10 participants or less.
SHARE BEST PRACTICES
Encourage patrons to do the following:
- Avoid shaking dirty laundry
- Use hot water and wash settings (as recommended for specific fabrics)
- Use the dryer rather than air-drying (as recommended for specific fabrics)
- Clean and sanitize hampers, clothes baskets, drying racks, etc.
ESSENTIAL BUSINESS
Currently, most states designate laundromats as essential business. As the COVID-19 outbreak continues, it is important to remind government officials the significance of designating laundromats as "essential service providers". You can read more and download the CLA template here.
The guidelines shared above will help you work through the current challenges. Keep in mind the links below for more up-to-date information and tools on Coronavirus and COVID-19 for laundromat owners and patrons:
If you have a need for surface disinfectants, hand sanitizers and Ozone laundry systems, please contact AAdvantage Laundry Systems to speak to one of our experts.