BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT

BUSINESS NAME AND POSITION:

Germyphobe, founder and CEO

YEARS IN BUSINESS:

2 months

LOCATION:

Flatbush, Brooklyn

NUMBER OF

EMPLOYEES: 10

How did you get started in this business?

My background is in real estate and construction, but COVID-19 has put a stop to those industries. I am a

very detail-oriented person by nature, and when I saw the havoc caused by the pandemic to businesses and the

community at large, I realized that I could provide a service that is desperately needed.

What is the disinfecting process?

Initially, we do a basic over the phone verbal assessment to determine what the job will entail. We need to evaluate

the size of the property and figure out how many people from our crew need to be dispatched to the location and

which machines we will require. I provide the client with a ballpark estimate for the job. Every job is different,

and every client is different, but the attention to detail is always the same whether we are servicing a warehouse or

basement apartment. Once we arrive, our crew puts on protective gear, which is changed for every single job. We

get the machines ready and mix our disinfectant solution. From here, we start the first phase, which is a detailed and

comprehensive deep cleaning. We do not overlook any spot: our crew will deep clean the walls, and they will scrub

down the legs of all the chairs. After the deep cleaning, we sanitize and disinfect the whole area. We let the solution

sit on all the surfaces for 10 to15 minutes and let it air dry. We tell clients they can return in 45 minutes to an hour.

Why is it necessary to both clean and disinfect?

Deep cleaning can take several hours and is equally important as sanitizing. People do not understand that you

cannot just spray and call it a day. That is what some other companies may do but it is a quick and lazy way to get

the job done. It is not effective because all you are doing is spraying the solution on top of grime and microfilm; the

surface is not fully exposed to the treatment.

Where can customers pick up the disinfectant you

use?

This is a specialized and expensive product that is not available to the masses. It is a super powerful EPA registered

solution that is made in the United States and it comes in strong concentrated form which must be

diluted expertly. The disinfectant kills even the SARS virus; other sprays on the market do not have that capacity.

What will you do when you run out of supplies?

Baruch Hashem, I had the foresight to order pallets of this stuff, so that will not happen anytime soon.

Do you believe that every home must be disinfected?

A home is different from a 100,000 square foot factory. Homeowners have the power to keep the premises isolated and do not see the same foot traffic as a business. That said, I recommend that all home and property owners sanitize. I have serviced many homes and even small apartments. Business owners who do this service send the message to employees

and customers that they care. I have spoken to shul presidents who rationalize not cleaning the premises because the building has been vacant for weeks. But is that enough? I read daily articles from the WHO, and it is obvious that we do not know enough about how long this virus can survive in the atmosphere. Skimping on a proper cleaning is being penny

wise and pound foolish. All you need is one person to catch COVID-19 and infect others.

How often is it necessary to disinfect?

After COVID-19 subsides, I would say at least once a month. If you have a high traffic area, three times a week is good. All this is obviously if no one on the premises has been infected.

How long does it take to clean a place?

It depends. We did a two-bedroom apartment in one hour and devoted an entire day to a warehouse. But sometimes the smaller locations take even longer and are more labor intensive because they are not open spaces where we can spray liberally. The machinery and solution mixtures change for smaller spaces as well.

Are there specific legal or other guidelines you must follow?

The CDC has put out guidelines and that is what we follow.

What kind of training do your employees receive?

All our workers undergo extensive training, not to mention hands-on cleaning experience. We go over all CDC guidelines with them and make sure they are knowledgeable about the rules. Other companies will just spray, but we take pride in our attention to detail. In fact, I am present at every job.

What changes have you seen in your business lately?

Before Pesach there was a sharp increase and after Pesach a decrease. I suspect that business will spike again soon as we talk about reopening the economy and easing restrictions on social distancing.

Who are your typical clients?

We have accounts with multiple manufacturing warehouses, factories, retail stores, shuls, business offices, dentist offices,

nursing homes, assistant living centers, and other medical offices.

Are you a germaphobe by nature?

To some extent, I think yes. I was never the type of person that would share drinks or food with others. I have always been health conscious and serious about cleanliness. I think we have all become germaphobes to some degree because of COVID-19. I assure you that come winter we will treat the flu very differently than we did in the