Before the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting closure of non-essential businesses, a local power washing company was cleaning homes, walkways and driveways as usual.
But with the illness spreading, Revive Painting and Powerwashing of Medford has shifted to sanitizing local businesses.
The company has donated its services to deep clean and sanitize the shopping carts at Murphy’s Fresh Markets and ShopRite of Medford. As part of a new plan dubbed The Revive Initiative, co-owners Thomas Davis and James Dalton shifted their services shortly after Gov. Phil Murphy ordered non-essential businesses to close and residents to remain inside.
“When the grocery stores started changing the slots where the older customers would go in the morning, we reached out to them and let them know we’re free in the nighttime,” Davis said.
Power washing spreads cleaning agents, then 140-degree water, on the shopping carts.
“We’ve reached out to Murphy’s in Medford and the Pines (Tabernacle), then we reached out to ShopRite,” Davis added. “We try to do other businesses to pressure wash. We hope other companies step up to offer that help.”
Power washing is not just pressurized water. It includes industry-graded chemicals to clean surfaces and ensure what is cleaned is not damaged in the process. Cleaning shopping carts takes roughly 90 minutes to two hours.
“A special thanks goes out to Denise DelMastro, owner of Del-Vel Chem Inc., for their generous donation of the ‘bleach’ used for ‘The Revive Initiative’,” Davis said of the Medford company in a message to The Sun.
Davis said Facebook has been a source of support for his power-washing efforts.
“Murphy’s owner Ron Murphy was extremely ecstatic that we were doing our part,” Davis mentioned. “Just doing what we can to help because they’re overwhelmed. They’re (management) working 14 to 15 hours a day, and their employees are working more hours as well.
“Just doing all of what we can each day.”
Davis wants to continue his initiative and to get more people on board, in the hope of igniting a national following.
“We encourage anyone who has a pressure washing company or some other type of company to do this as well,” he said.
