Frequently Asked Questions about Our Cold and Flu Season Services

How does The Maids clean for health?
Do your products kill the H1N1 virus?
If someone has been sick with H1N1 in my home, should I let you know when I schedule service?
What can I do in my home to help prevent the spread of germs and viruses?

How does The Maids clean for health?

There are many benefits of The Maids’ cleaning-for-health system during cold and flu season. The Maids uses our professional 22-Step Healthy Touch® Deep Cleaning System. This breakthrough system, together with our environmentally preferable products and state-of-the-art Back Pack Vacs, will make your home cleaner and healthier. Our Back Pack Vacs with HEPA filtration can capture up to 99% of dust, allergens, bacteria, dust mites, pet dander, pollen and other pollutants. To help reduce germs and viruses in your home, we clean and disinfect door handles, light switch plates and phone receivers. In your bathrooms, we clean and disinfect all sinks, tubs, showers, toilets and floors. We vacuum the tops of ceiling fan blades, and under beds, as well as vacuum registers and vents, including the refrigerator vent, to reduce airborne dust and allergens in the home. Overall, our procedures and equipment provide homes a cleaner, healthier environment than most conventional cleaning practices.

Do your products kill the H1N1 virus?

The Maids uses a disinfectant in the bathroom and on some hard surfaces commonly touched throughout the home like light switch plates, phone receivers and doorknobs. The disinfectant does kill the H1N1 virus on contact, however, because of how the flu virus is spread, we cannot make promises that we eliminate the virus in homes. In addition, due to concerns with food contamination, we do not use disinfectant in the kitchen. However, we do use cleaners that help reduce germs and bacteria throughout the home.

If someone has been sick with H1N1 in my home, should I let you know when I schedule service?

We would appreciate clients letting us know if someone in the home has recently had cold or flu symptoms. With this knowledge, we can provide staff with adequate safety apparel, and reassign team members with an increased risk of severe illness from influenza infection, when necessary.

What can I do in my home to help prevent the spread of germs and viruses?

There are several routine cleaning measures you can take to help reduce the spread of germs and bacteria in your home, including:

• Wash hands often with soap and water.
• Disinfect regularly using a household disinfectant on any surfaces that are commonly touched like doorknobs, appliance handles, remote controls, light switches, phones, and facial tissue box covers. Follow proper usage instructions on product labels.
• Use disinfecting spray in bathrooms. Spray disinfecting cleaner on toilet handles and seats, faucets, showers, tubs and sinks. Allow the disinfectant to air dry for several minutes.
• Make sure to wash items like towels and bedding in hot water with detergent. If someone has been sick in the home, be sure not to share these items until they are thoroughly cleaned.
• If multiple toothbrushes are kept in a common container, either put them through the dishwasher or purchase new ones.
• To protect yourself at work, use antibacterial wipes on your keyboard, phone and writing utensils regularly, in case others have used them.