Jones Cleaners recently reopened after a 12-day closure. The business is stressing social distancing between customers and staff. Photo contributed

As the local business community continues to navigate through an economic shutdown, businesses and companies are shifting efforts to stay viable and still attract customers.

Jones Cleaning Centers, Inc., located at Remington and Palm Avenues near Herndon Avenue in Fresno, has revamped its pick-up and drop off services to promote social distancing and reduce human contact.

Robin Kramer, owner of Jones Cleaning Centers, said he voluntarily closed-up shop for 12 days for public safety, even though it is considered an essential business. He re-opened this Wednesday.

At the time the plant temporarily closed, Kramer said there were 3,000 clothing items of customers that had to be picked up.

Kramer has limited the business to a drive-thru pick-up and drop-off service that requires no contact between employees and customers.

One lane is a dedicated to customers with a drop-off express, and the second lane is for pick-ups and new customers that will be provided with an express bag.

Customers will have to pay with a credit or debit card, and until a customer gets their card added to a file, cards will be placed in a box and sanitized before an employee handles them.

“We’re doing everything we can to stay safe,” Kramer said. “Employees are all required to wear gloves and masks. Every bag that clothes come in — we wash. If a customer sends in an order of clothes in an express bag, we clean that before we send it back to them.”

Kramer said that the shop is being sanitized every two hours, and every time an order comes in, the counter is cleaned immediately after.

Either for convenience or to avoid contact entirely, more customers are taking advantage of the 24-hour drop-off and pick-up lockers located outside the shop, which are sanitized after each use.

Like all businesses, Kramer said that Jones Cleaning is seeing less orders, as many people are working from home and not wearing the clothes they would normally wear in the office.

However, the business is seeing more existing customers, and new customers are signing up for pick-up and delivery services, which have always been free at Jones Cleaning Centers.

Jones said that he has been using Trebon Plus, a super cleaner detergent, since 2004, produced by German company Kreussler Textile Care.

According to a FAQ published by Kreussler, Trebon Plus meets German Rober Koch Institute (RKI) standards for laundry disinfection against viruses and bacteria with professional washing machines.

The FAQ sheet published on Kreussler’s website states that when following certain professional cleaning procedures, Trebon Plus can destroy the coronavirus.

Kramer said that he has a skeleton crew currently working and doesn’t plan to do any lay-offs, but the store has began to close at 5:30 p.m., one hour earlier than usual.

Jones Cleaning Centers, Inc. is also a Nurse Angel Network drop spot where people can donate unopened personal protective equipment. 

Because it is a family business, Kramer said a big motivation to close the plant was for the safety of his family and his employees.

“Wash your hands and do your part,” Kramer said. “It’s a very good time for businesses to clean their offices, especially if they didn’t before, especially for people coming back to work.