When you’re in the hospitality business, you need to take cleaning seriously. This was true before the pandemic and is even more accurate now. Because of this, you’ll notice that many establishments in the industry have developed additional measures for cleaning houses, hotels, and Airbnbs.
At PMI, we’ve done this as well. We developed the PMI Purify Enhanced Cleaning Protocol, including EPA-approved cleaning supplies, training team members, and a 10-step enhanced cleaning and sanitation protocol.
It’s expert-backed, and the principles are in harmony with those required by online travel agencies such as Airbnb.
Our enhanced procedures and guidance cover how to clean every room in a home. This includes a learning and certification program to empower our PMI franchise community of hosts with the necessary tools to execute the PMI Purify cleaning standard effectively. We’ve adopted this because we care deeply about our clients protecting their guests and continuing to see investment success.
The PMI Purify Enhanced Cleaning Protocol covers specific information on COVID-19 prevention, such as personal protective equipment, including masks, gloves, and disinfectants approved by regulatory authorities. The protocol is available to all franchisees, and we encourage them to commit and adopt these enhanced cleaning practices.
Any listings enrolled in this advanced cleaning protocol will be available for stays immediately after the enhanced cleaning has been performed. After you or a member of your hosting team commits to the cleaning process, your listings will get a highlight to let guests know that you’re committed to keeping your property clean.
Here’s the PMI Purify 10-Step Enhanced Cleaning Process:
Our 10-step cleaning process is a set of cleaning practices that all PMI hosts must follow between guest stays and their local laws and guidelines. We’ve based this process on Airbnb’s cleaning handbook, along with additional PMI safety measures developed in partnership with experts to curb the spread of COVID-19.
1. Learn — Commit to enrolling and studying the PMI Purify Enhanced Cleaning Protocol.
2. Certify — Complete the PMI Purify Certification Program.
3. Train — Conduct PMI Purify Enhanced Cleaning Protocol training with your housekeeping staff.
4. Follow The Wall — “Follow The Wall” cleaning process was followed and inspected.
5. Prepare — Proper preparation can help your team clean more efficiently and safely. Make sure to:
- Ventilate the space before and during cleaning, when possible.
- Use disinfectants approved by your local regulatory agencies for use against COVID-19.
- Always read the directions and warnings on your cleaning products carefully.
- Wash or disinfect your hands, and wear masks and gloves while cleaning.
6. Clean — Cleaning refers to removing dust and dirt from surfaces, such as floors and countertops. When cleaning, be sure to:
- Sweep, vacuum, dust, and/or mop areas before sanitizing.
- Wash all dishes and laundry at the highest heat setting possible.
- Wipe down hard surfaces with soap and water.
7. Sanitize — When you’re sanitizing, you’re using chemicals to reduce the number of bacteria on surfaces such as doorknobs and TV remotes. These are the things to make sure to do:
- Spray high-touch surfaces in each room with an approved disinfectant spray.
- Let the disinfectant stand for the length of time specified on the product label.
- Allow the surface to air-dry.
8. Check — We have custom cleaning checklists for our franchisees. To access a custom cleaning checklist, go to Performance > Cleaning. Also, be sure to do the following:
- Refer to the best practices in each room-by-room checklist to ensure that all areas are cleaned and sanitized between each stay.
- Share these requirements with your hosting team and cleaning professionals.
9. Reset — We want to help prevent cross-contamination. To do this, it’s essential to finish cleaning and sanitizing a room before replacing items for the next guest. These are the things that should be done:
- Wash your hands and replace gloves before replacing guest supplies, linens, and cleaning kits.
- Safely dispose of or wash cleaning supplies and protective gear.
- Don’t re-enter a room once it’s been sanitized.
- Empty and/or clean your equipment (ex: vacuum, microfiber cloths) between each turnover.
10. Inspect — Inspect the property after every clean to ensure proper execution of the PMI Purify Enhanced Cleaning Protocol.
You can see from our enhanced protocol that we’re taking this seriously. COVID-19 may have brought more attention to the need for deep cleanings, but it’s not the only reason to offer a thorough cleaning. There are plenty of guests coming and going in the hospitality industry and cleaning the property. The happier and safer your guests will be. COVID-19 just reminded us in the industry how essential this practice is and pushed us to up our game.
If you’d like to learn more about this cleaning protocol or what else we have to offer, please reach out to us at PMI. We’d love to hear from you.
