As the COVID-19 pandemic has instilled fears of health and safety for the entire nation in 2020, one franchise has found opportunities to use its cleaning services to help members of the community across the country.
AdvantaClean is national franchise that specializes in indoor air quality and mold remediation. Shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak, the company added building sanitizing and disinfection to its portfolio of services.
Since that time, AdvantaClean franchisees have sanitized patrol cars in a gesture of appreciation for first responders, disinfected buses to help protect children returning to school and cleaned air ducts for a women’s domestic abuse shelter to ensure the health of its residents. In each case, the franchisees provided these services for free as a way to help others as we collectively work to overcome this virus.
Here are some examples of the charitable work AdvantaClean franchisees have performed in recent months:
First Responder Vehicle Sanitizing
In the first several months during the spread of the virus, 10 AdvantaClean franchisees across the country provided free sanitizing services on first responder vehicles in each of their local communities. The AdvantaClean staffs disinfected police cars, fire trucks and ambulances, fogging and mechanically wiping the high-touch areas of each vehicle such as the steering wheels, door handles, seat belts and on-board electronics.
“We are happy to do this for our first responders,” said Dave Harley, franchise owner of AdvantaClean of Badgerland in Wisconsin. “We respect what they do on a daily basis in putting their lives on the line for us. This is the least we can do to thank them.”
All the franchise owners offered the service free of charge to spare the departments additional expenses on their operating budgets. It also gave them the opportunity to show their appreciation for the first responders who are on the front lines in protecting the public from the spread of the virus by providing them with a safe working environment.
“We don’t know what our officers are picking up when we are out on the street and bringing it into our cars and transferring from officer to officer,“ said Captain John Hoell of the Mequon (WI) Police Department. “This brings a new level of safety and it is great they can provide it for us.”
School Bus Disinfection
Prior to the start of the school year, Kim Stanley, a franchise owner with AdvantaClean of Winchester, Virginia disinfected 25 buses with the Frederick County (VA) Public Schools at no charge. Stanley and her crew identified areas inside the buses that were frequently touched by students, such as the door, seats, entry handlebar and windows, and disinfected each location.
The sanitizing process gave children, parents, bus drivers and school staff an extra level of health and safety as the students returned to school this fall.
“We’re always looking to give back to the community,” said Stanley. “I know the schools were having issues about when and how to open, and I thought a great way to give back to others was to sanitize to school buses.”
Air Duct Cleaning for Women’s Shelter
Lyle Nearby, franchise owner with of AdvantaClean of Monroe, cleaned the air ducts for Turning Point, a shelter for women and children who have suffered from domestic violence. The work was done on a pro-bono basis and it is estimated to be a $5,000 job, which enabled the shelter save money and devote funding to other programs and services to help its clients.
“I came out for an estimate for an air duct cleaning for the facility and I thought it would be nice to do it as a donation,” said Nearby. “I didn’t want them to pay for that. The money could be used elsewhere to help other people. As a business owner, I feel it is important to give back to the community, especially in today’s world where money may be tight for some people.”
Nearby and his staff cleaned the air ducts at the 11,000 square foot facility in Monroe, September 15-17. The project took a combined 55 man-hours, cleaning eight HVAC systems in the residence area and staff offices. One week prior to the cleaning, Nearby partnered with a local restaurant to host a pizza donation that raised nearly $500 for Turning Point.
“Lyle was great to work with. He is friendly and compassionate about helping his community,” said Jennifer Sanford, Turning Point’s Community Engagement Manager. “We were very thankful for someone who wanted to partner with us and provide those services for the shelter.”
AdvantaClean’s franchise owners are a great example of adversity bringing out the best in people as they try to help keep their communities safe during a difficult time.