UPDATED PROCESSES DUE TO COVID-19

Brite Maid Services (BMS) has gone above and beyond compliance with CDC guidelines ever since the emergency declaration was made regarding the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning in early April, BMS implemented the regular use of an EPA-approved virucide sanitation package for all cleaning service appointments. Moving forward, BMS will ensure full compliance with the CDC-published "Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers Responding to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), May 2020" and all updates to that document (accessible here https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/guidance-business-response.html). BMS will also ensure compliance with the CDC-published "Cleaning and Disinfection for Community Facilities" guidelines, and all updates to that document as well (accessible here https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/community/organizations/cleaning-disinfection.html).

It is important for both BMS and our clients to acknowledge the existence of the COVID-19 virus, the dangers of the virus, and the potential exposure to the virus that could occur as a result of a BMS staff member providing in-home services, and the potential exposure that BMS staff risk when providing in-home services to the Client. To account for and reduce all possible risks of COVID-19 exposure, BMS has implemented new protocols regarding the workplace and our service provision, and are requesting new protocols to be complied with by our clients, to ensure greater mutual safety.

For BMS staff, the following protocols have been implemented at the workplace:

• Educating staff about how they can reduce the spread of COVID-19;
• Conducting temperature checks and requesting staff to access COVID-19 testing if there is a known risk of exposure.
• Isolating/ sending home or to their neighborhood health services centers to any staff that begins showing symptoms upon arriving at work;
• Providing and ensuring training in proper donning/doffing of disposable PPE to our staff
• Using proper building ventilation, filtration and humidity control
• Practicing proper hand hygiene (e., providing sufficient hand sanitizer and soap)
• Practicing proper respiratory hygiene (e., providing tissues and places to properly dispose of tissues)
• Encouraging clients to stay at least six feet apart from our staff, or remaining outside the home during the service appointment
• Discouraging handshaking and other forms of direct contact with each other; and
• Routine cleaning and disinfection at the workplace(e., high contact surfaces, dust, removing trash, cleaning restrooms)

Effective May 19, 2020, the following service procedures will be implemented by BMS:

• Contactless access and service appointment confirmation: 30 minute prior notice will be given to all clients to ensure contactless property access.
• All service queries or comments are to be made via email to BMS directly, to reduce direct contact between client and BMS staff during the service appointment. Staff will be directed to avoid all direct interaction with clients.
• Deployment of 1-2 staff per property only, to reduce risk of exposure to both client and staff.
• Continued provision of disposable PPE, and continual training in donning/doffing disposable PPE, specifically shoe covers, face masks, and gloves. PPE will be donned right before entry into each property. These items are sourced from our international supplier, to ensure that local supplies for frontline workers are not affected by our use.
• When possible, one-time disposable cleaning tools, such as toilet brush heads, will be used. All equipment will be sanitized before entrance into the client’s property.
• Ensuring proper dwell time needed for disinfectants to work properly before wiping surfaces.
• As the cleaning is completed per room, a spray disinfectant that fulfills EPA criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, will be applied to ensure total sanitation.

We deeply appreciate the trust our clients have continued to give us during this unprecedented time. In order to ensure reduced risk of exposure to our staff as well as our clients, we are requesting that all clients seeking a service appointment with BMS comply with the following appointment guidelines:

• For our clients to commit to ensuring absence from the home during the service appointment, or at the very least maintaining social distance of 6ft or more between themselves and BMS staff during the service appointment.
• For clients to make all queries or comments email to BMS directly, as staff cannot comment or provide input to clients during the service appointment.
• For clients must ensure that should a quarantine or self-isolating period be applicable to them or other members of the household, that no service appointment will be made during this quarantine or self-isolating period, until 72 hours have passed without symptoms post quarantine, in order to prevent risking BMS staff exposure to COVID-19.
• For the client to only seek a service appointment when, to the best of their knowledge, they have not tested positive or shown signs of COVID-19, have not been in contact with any person in the past 14 days who has tested positive for COVID-19 or is waiting for results of a test for COVID-19, and have not within the last 14 days arrived from or been in contact with someone who has travelled abroad.
• For clients will ensure that all used PPE or personal respiratory health items, such as inhalers, CPAP machines, and used tissues, are properly disposed of in secured bags and placed in trash receptacles or are placed secure locations in order to prevent risking BMS staff exposure to COVID-19.
• For clients to remove or put away any special valuables, heirlooms or irreplaceable items.
• For those clients or members of the client household who test positive or begin experiencing symptoms within 3 to 5 days of any cleaning service appointment, to inform BMS immediately via email of a possible risk of exposure to our staff.

Our general cleaning package is no longer available. Our new Residential General Sanitization Cleaning is now available for all bedrooms, bathrooms, and common areas as the standard service: 

A thoroughly detailed cleaning and disinfecting of the property’s high traffic and high-frequency touch areas that meets the CDC-recommended home cleaning protocols advised during the ongoing covid-19 pandemic emergency. High-frequency touch areas included for disinfection application:

• Entryway & property doorknobs, handles, locks
• General Appliance handles and keypads in common areas & bedrooms
• Restroom faucets, dispensers, countertops, handles, tubs, toilet seats, floors
• Phones, keyboards, mouse devices, remote / gaming controls & high frequency touched areas
• Wall Light switches
• Kitchen handles, door knobs, keypads, wall light switches, general countertops
• Handrails
• Cabinet knobs
• Trash cans covers/ tops/ handles
• Dinner table(s)/ desk(s)/ table top(s)/ countertop(s)
• Lite mist of Sanitization solvent on common area couches/ sofas/ high frequency touched chairs in common areas only

The additional work averages additionally 1.5 hours of labor outside of the General cleaning process. This additional work and new processes for all staff have increased our cost dramatically, all in the interest of preserving the safety of our clients, staff, and the greater Washington DC Metropolitan community.

Until greater advancements in medicine provide the General public with a vaccine, we ask for your patience and understanding to allow our staff to properly sanitize and clean your property. We are all in this together and appreciate your compliance with our policies during these unprecedented times.