Ajay Cleaners

Tag: Maid Services

  • How Dry Cleaning Keeps Viruses Away?

    How Dry Cleaning Keeps Viruses Away?

    Since the outbreak of COVID-19 earlier this year, both scientists and the public have been scrambling to figure out exactly how the virus works. How does it spread, and what can we personally do to stop that spread?

    Because of the novelty of this virus, there are many things scientists are still trying to figure out. We do know a few things about coronavirus contagion, however. The virus needs some water present to survive, and is largely spread in droplets created by our breath. It can live on various surfaces, but the material of the surface determines how long the virus can survive.

    As far as current research shows, the virus can survive in the air for three hours, on copper surfaces such as coins for up to four hours, on fibrous materials like cardboard for 24 hours, and on plastic and steel for up to two to three days.

    When it comes to various clothing materials, exact studies have yet to be done. However, the research implies that because most clothing is fibrous, we should assume the virus can live for one day on these materials. For items of clothing that include metal and plastic, the virus can live on these parts of the clothing, such as buttons and buckles, for several days.

    The spread of COVID-19 continues in our public spaces. This is why it’s important to change and clean clothing regularly, especially if you have worn it in a location where you could have been exposed to the virus.

    There are several ways to ensure that an item is clean and free of the virus. Methods known to kill coronavirus are:

    • Heat above 140° Fahrenheit
    • Soap and physical removal
    • Disinfectants

    When you take your clothing to be dry cleaned, it is guaranteed that the process will completely eliminate any traces of the virus. Temperatures used when dry cleaning are much higher than the 140° threshold needed to eliminate the virus. These temperatures are used at multiple stages of the dry cleaning process when the clothes are cleaned, dried and steam-pressed.

    In addition, soap and physical removal, such as when you wash your hands, kills the virus. When dry cleaning, strong detergents and mechanical action perform the same job of physical removal as hand washing.

    For delicate materials that require low temperature cleaning, additional disinfectants such as hydrogen peroxide are used, which work in addition to the physical removal process to kill any remaining viral traces.

    Although many areas are loosening quarantine restrictions, we are far from safe from the spread of COVID yet. That’s why it’s more important than ever to remain vigilant about your personal hygiene and cleaning. Regular dry cleaning can be an important step in maintaining the hygiene of your clothing.

    We encourage our customers to take extra care if they believe a garment has been exposed to COVID. Bringing the item to be dry cleaned is a guaranteed way to ensure any traces of the virus are eliminated. Be sure to inform dry cleaning staff if you believe an item may be contaminated, so that they may take extra precautions. For more information on maintaining clothing hygiene during this time, check out our blog!

  • COVID-19 Epidemic & Precautions

    COVID-19 Epidemic & Precautions

    The current COVID-19 epidemic has led to a great deal of changes for our everyday lives. Most of us have followed the stay-at-home order for several months, and are eager to return to a degree of normalcy with the reopening of businesses and services. Several regions across the country are already reopening their economies, and the rest of us expect normal business to resume soon.

    However, as businesses reopen and we return to our normal lives, we are left responsible for protecting ourselves from the virus and thereby protecting the vulnerable in our society. Business owners are the first line of defense against the spread of coronavirus in their establishments. As a result, businesses are having to plan and communicate their own regulations to keep their staff and customers safe.

    Ajay Cleaners is no different. We have made a series of changes to protect the health of our valuable staff and customers. We plan to continue with extra precautions as long as necessary until the spread of the virus is contained.

    The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has stressed that the most important step establishments can take is rigorous and consistent cleaning of facilities and equipment.  At Ajay Cleaners, we have implemented additional daily cleaning of our five Manhattan locations. We are giving special attention to areas of our facilities which come into contact with the public such as door handles, front desk areas and card readers.

    The staff at our locations have been trained in additional hygiene practices throughout their workday, including regular hand washing after interacting with customers, helping customers maintain physical distancing, and staying home if they or anyone they live with has shown any signs of sickness. We are continually communicating with our staff as we transition back to normal business, and are prepared to adjust our policies in accordance with the most up-to-date guidelines.

    In order to protect staff and customers from viral spread through the exchange of money, we are temporarily accepting card payments only. While the World Health organization has not issued specific advisories regarding the exchange of cash, recent research suggests that the virus can remain on fibrous surfaces such as banknotes for up to 24 hours, and on metal surfaces such as coins anywhere from several hours to several days depending on the metal. We ask that customers to please be prepared with a credit or debit card when collecting garments.

    We are providing staff at all our locations with additional cleaning and protective materials including gloves, hand sanitizer and wipes. We are also providing hand sanitizer in public locations of our facilities for use by our customers.

    While Ajay Cleaners is taking as many additional precautions as we can, we also urge our customers to take personal precautions as well. We encourage patrons to wash hands or make use of hand sanitizer provided after public exchanges and maintain physical distance from other customers and staff. We are all responsible for one another, so we encourage everyone to do their part in protecting their neighbor. With a sense of discipline and a community spirit, we are confident that we can get through this time together.

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