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Vermont Dry Cleaning
Vermont Dry Cleaners

COMBAT COVID-19 WITH GADUE’S DRY CLEANING

At Gadue’s Dry Cleaning, our mission has always been straightforward: clean the clothes; serve our clients with unmatched commitment and zeal; be an outstanding employer. These are the very foundation stones upon which we’ve built our business for the past forty years. 

The novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19, is challenging businesses, communities, and whole countries. Fear and misinformation are more contagious than any virus. It is our duty to seek out up-to-date information and recommendations from reliable sources, and to respond to a rapidly evolving situation with prudence and reason.

This is what Gadue’s Dry Cleaning is doing to respond to the Coronavirus pandemic:

CLEAN THE CLOTHES

Our professional dry cleaning and laundry services already include standard operating procedures that not only clean but sanitize your garments and household items. Cold, flu and coronaviruses cannot survive professional cleaning at our facility.

The detergent we use in all water-based cleaning applications is called TREBON PLUS. It is produced by Kreussler Textile Care out of Germany, and our established laundry processes are listed as being bacteria, fungi, and virus disinfectant.1


Furthermore, according to the CDC, flu viruses are killed by heat above 167°F.2 Our dry cleaning process includes finishing garments with an initial steam bath, followed by individual steam and pressing treatment—heating items to between 248°F and 302°F.


Clean items are protected in plastic wrap until they are returned to our clients ready to wear.


These detergents, cleaning programs, and the high temperature of steam under pressure are simply not available to consumers in-home.


A study published in the March edition of “The Journal of Hospital Infection” indicated that coronaviruses could persist on a disposable gown for up to two days.3 If you’ve been sneezing into your elbow, now is not the time to hang up your suit or sweater to wear another day. Professional cleaning of your garments and household items can help protect you and your family from many contagions, including Coronavirus. 


SERVE OUR CLIENTS

At this time, all Gadue’s Dry Cleaning locations are open and staffed for our regular business hours. Find information on those locations and hours on our website at www.gadues.com

Our home and office pick up and delivery service is continuing as scheduled. Many of our business clients may find themselves working from home in the short-term. Any of our locations would be happy to assist you with your cleaning needs, and all billing accounts will remain active and available. If you live within Chittenden County and you’re interested in continuing your delivery service at your home for the interim, please call our corporate office at (802) 879-3144 and we will work to accommodate your needs. 

When you do wash items at home, the CDC is currently advising that a sick individual’s garments should be handled with gloves, but can be combined with clothing from the rest of the household for in-home laundering. Visibly soiled linens or garments should be cleaned separately. Use the hottest water and hottest dryer temperatures allowed by your garments’ fabric and care labels. Use bleach on whites, as directed. Don’t forget to disinfect laundry baskets and wash cloth hampers.4

BE AN OUTSTANDING EMPLOYER

The health and well-being of our employees is paramount. Our employees are screened each day for possible Coronavirus exposure. They are encouraged to remain at home if they feel ill. Gadue’s Dry Cleaning has long been a leader in Vermont regarding paid time off, and provides employees with both sick and vacation time.

As our job has always been to clean what our clients cannot, we have long had policies and procedures in place for our employees to handle potentially contaminated items. We have updated and reinforced those policies in light of the current outbreak, and are following recommended guidelines regarding hand washing, sanitizing hard surfaces, and wearing protective gear as necessary.

If you or someone in your household is ill, please inform our staff at drop-off so that they can take appropriate precautions to protect their own health and the health of our other employees and clients.

The situation on the ground is changing rapidly as the virus spreads and the response intensifies. We will continue to monitor the information available to us, to consider best practices as that information evolves, and to make adjustments as necessary to protect our employees, our clients and our business. 

Please direct any questions to Aline Gadue Stirling at (802) 879-3144 or at aline@gadues.com.