Concerns over the coronavirus have put cleanliness top of mind for everyone and it also means business is booming for cleaning companies across New England.
The owners of UniStar Cleaning Service in Manchester, New Hampshire, say their phone has been ringing off the hook and they are hiring additional cleaning specialists to keep up with the demand.
While sanitizing surfaces is common sense, the experts at UniStar are taking disinfecting to a whole different level.
"What we did is we designed a color-coding system," explained co-owner Ryan Van Orden.
To avoid spreading germs from one space to another, they only use certain clothes in certain rooms.
"So, we have red for the bathroom, green for the kitchen," explained worker Elizabeth Vigneault. "Blue is for windows and glass."
Workers wear booties and gloves to keep outside germs away. To ensure they're not carrying germs from one house to the next, workers use a whole new bag of cloths and hospital-grade disinfectants to sanitize the vacuum.
"I never thought of that. Yeah, to me, it's amazing that they do that," said one of their clients Kelly Zompanti.
The extra precautions are especially important because many of UniStar's clients are like Zompanti.
More on the Coronavirus
"I have breast cancer," she explained.
The company cleans cancer patients' homes for free.
And right now, health officials say those with compromised immune systems are most at risk during the coronavirus outbreak.
"It is really scary," Zompanti said.
Due to the outbreak, Van Orden says calls for service have spiked in the last couple of weeks.
"Our clients want more frequent deep cleaning," he said. "We are hiring to make sure we can deal with the demand."
Because it's not just about keeping their client's homes clean but protecting their peace of mind.
"They came in, did the floors, they made everything sanitized my bathroom," Zompanti explained. "It was just a huge relief."
Vigneault, who is a cancer survivor, takes pride in the significance of her work.
"It's a good feeling to know they're safe and comfortable and they feel better about themselves," she said.
Van Orden hopes more cleaning companies will focus on avoiding cross-contamination especially amid the spread of this highly contagious virus.
