Communications To Date:
September 21, 2020 - An update to “no-contact” delivery at Rinse
March 31, 2020 - Rinse remains open as an essential service in Washington DC
March 30, 2020 - Rinse remains open as an essential service in Virginia
March 30, 2020 - Rinse remains open as an essential service in Maryland
March 25, 2020 - Rinse remains open as an essential service in Washington DC
March 23, 2020 - Rinse remains open as an essential service in Maryland
March 23, 2020 - Rinse remains open as an essential service in Boston
March 20, 2020 - Rinse remains open as an essential service in Chicago
March 19, 2020 - Rinse remains open as an essential service in California
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Over the past few months we have made significant changes to our pickup up and delivery procedures in order to keep our customers and Valets safe in the wake of this pandemic.
Since the onset of COVID, we have put processes in place to ensure “no-contact” pickups and deliveries for all orders at Rinse. During that time, we’ve collected a lot of great feedback from our customers and Valets.
To that end, we wanted to let you know about one important change we are making to our no-contact policy: if you would like your pickup or delivery to be completed without you being present (Rinse Drop), we require formal authorization from you in advance of our arrival. This means your Valet will no longer be able to accept verbal or text message approval for Rinse Drop.
As a reminder, below is a summary of your “no-contact” options at Rinse:
- Rinse Drop is a service we offer for customers who won’t be home (or don’t want to answer the door) when our Valet arrives. This option should only be used by those who feel their bags will be safe when left unattended at the delivery location. There are two ways to set up Rinse Drop:
- Rinse Drop on your current order – If you would like to set up a “one-time” preference for Rinse Drop (meaning we pick up or deliver items without you needing to answer the door on that specific Rinse), authorize Rinse Drop through the link we send you on the day of your order (see below).
![SMS.png]()
Step 1 - The evening of your Rinse you'll receive a text that asks for instructions for your Valet. Just follow the link to update your Rinse Drop preferences.
![fingertips.png]()
Step 2 - Under "Contactless delivery", select “I can’t come to the door” from the options dropdown menu and then authorize Rinse Drop for your order.
- Rinse Drop on all orders – If you would like to set a permanent preference for Rinse Drop, you can do that on your “My Account” page under “delivery preferences."
- Rinse Drop on your current order – If you would like to set up a “one-time” preference for Rinse Drop (meaning we pick up or deliver items without you needing to answer the door on that specific Rinse), authorize Rinse Drop through the link we send you on the day of your order (see below).
- Socially-distanced pickups and deliveries – are available if you are able to answer the door when your Valet arrives or do not authorize Rinse Drop.
- For pickups - Your Valet will text you when he/she arrives at your address. He/she will wait six feet away from your door while you place your bags outside. Once you close your door he/she will collect your bags and send you a confirmation text.
- For deliveries - Your Valet will place or hang your clothes outside your door and notify you of his/her arrival. He/she will wait six feet away while you collect your bags. If you are not able to come to the door during his/her visit, your bags will not be delivered and your Valet will send you a text to reschedule for another, more convenient, time.
- For pickups - Your Valet will text you when he/she arrives at your address. He/she will wait six feet away from your door while you place your bags outside. Once you close your door he/she will collect your bags and send you a confirmation text.
We hope the above gives you a clear understanding of what to expect during your next Rinse. If you have questions or feedback, don’t hesitate to reach out to [email protected].
Wishing you safety and health,
Your friends at Rinse
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COVID-19 UPDATE: Yesterday, Mayor Bowser issued a "Stay-at-Home" order to Washington DC residents, noting that only Essential Services, including Laundry Services like Rinse, will remain open. The order is effective as of 12:01 a.m. on April 1, 2020.
We take our role as an Essential Business very seriously during this challenging time. Rinse will remain OPEN for all our customers in Washington DC, (in addition to all our other markets) and we are ready to serve you.
You can read more below about the actions we are taking to keep our customers and our team safe and follow this blog for more updates. Stay safe and healthy!
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COVID-19 UPDATE: Today, Governor Northam issued a "Stay at Home" order for the state of Virginia, noting that only Essential Services, including Laundry Services like Rinse, will remain open. The order is effective starting, today, March 30, 2020.
We take our role as an Essential Business very seriously during this challenging time. Rinse will remain OPEN for all our customers in Virginia, (in addition to all our other markets) and we are ready to serve you.
You can read more below about the actions we are taking to keep our customers and our team safe and follow this blog for more updates. Stay safe and healthy!
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COVID-19 UPDATE: Today, Governor Hogan issued a "Stay at Home" order for the state of Maryland, noting that only Essential Services, including Laundry Services like Rinse, will remain open. The order will go into effect starting at 8:00 p.m. on March 30, 2020.
We take our role as an Essential Business very seriously during this challenging time. Rinse will remain OPEN for all our customers in Maryland, (in addition to all our other markets) and we are ready to serve you.
You can read more below about the actions we are taking to keep our customers and our team safe and follow this blog for more updates. Stay safe and healthy!
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COVID-19 UPDATE: Yesterday evening, Mayor Bowser issued an order to temporarily close all non-essential businesses in Washington, DC starting at 10:00 p.m. on March 25, 2020. Laundry services are noted as an Essential Business.
We take our role as an Essential Business very seriously during this challenging time. Rinse will remain OPEN for all our customers in Washington, DC, (in addition to all our other markets) and we are ready to serve you.
You can read more below about the actions we are taking to keep our customers and our team safe and follow this blog for more updates. Stay safe and healthy!
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COVID-19 UPDATE: Today, Governor Hogan issued an order to close all non-essential businesses in Maryland starting at 5pm on Mon March 23. Laundry services are noted as an Essential Business.
We take our role as an Essential Business very seriously during this challenging time. Rinse will remain OPEN for all our customers in Maryland (in addition to all our other markets) and we are ready to serve you.
You can read more below about the actions we are taking to keep our customers and our team safe and follow this blog for more updates. Stay safe and healthy!
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COVID-19 UPDATE: This morning, Governor Baker issued a stay-at-home advisory for Massachusetts and ordered all non-essential businesses closed starting at noon on Tue March 24. Laundry services are noted as an Essential Business.
We take our role as an Essential Business very seriously during this challenging time. Rinse will remain OPEN for all our customers in and around Boston (in addition to all our other markets) and we are ready to serve you.
You can read more below about the actions we are taking to keep our customers and our team safe and follow this blog for more updates.
Stay safe and healthy!
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At Rinse, safety is our highest priority. To that end, we are following developments around the coronavirus outbreak very closely and taking the necessary measures to protect our team and our customers. Rinse remains OPEN for all our customers in the Bay Area, Los Angeles, Chicago, Boston, and Washington DC Area as an Essential Service. Please read more below about the actions we are taking to keep our customers and our team safe.
What Rinse Is Doing To Keep Our Customers and Employees Safe
During this uncertain time with new information coming in every hour, Rinse is taking every precaution to keep our customers and employees safe. And we take our role as an Essential Service very seriously. We’ve implemented the following protocol to protect against any potential cross-contamination:
During Our Pickup and Delivery Process:
“No-Contact” Pickup and Delivery – We have enacted "no-contact" pickup and delivery options so we can maximize social distance between our Valets and our customers to keep everyone safe. No contact pickup and delivery is now required for all Rinse orders. We now have three no contact options available:
- Rinse Drop is a service we offer for customers who won’t be home (or don’t want to answer the door right away) when our Valet arrives. This option should only be used by those who feel their bags will be safe when left unattended at the delivery location. There are two ways to set up Rinse Drop:
- Rinse Drop on your CURRENT ORDER – If you would like to set up a “one-time” preference for Rinse Drop (meaning we pick up or deliver items at your door without you needing to answer the door on that specific Rinse), click on the link we text you on the day of your order that asks for instructions for your Valet. Select “I can’t come to the door” and then authorize Rinse Drop and provide any special instructions around where we can pick up or deliver your clothes.
- Rinse Drop on ALL ORDERS – If you would like to set a permanent preference for Rinse Drop, you can do that on your “My Account” page under “delivery preferences."
- Rinse Drop on your CURRENT ORDER – If you would like to set up a “one-time” preference for Rinse Drop (meaning we pick up or deliver items at your door without you needing to answer the door on that specific Rinse), click on the link we text you on the day of your order that asks for instructions for your Valet. Select “I can’t come to the door” and then authorize Rinse Drop and provide any special instructions around where we can pick up or deliver your clothes.
- Socially distanced pickups and deliveries – If you will be home the evening of your pickup or delivery and need to interact with your Valet for some reason, please be aware that we are instructing our Valets to maintain at least 6 feet of distance between themselves and customers to keep everyone safe.
- For pickups - Your Valet will text you when they arrive at your address. They will wait six feet away from your door while you place your bags outside. Once you close your door they will collect your bags and send you a confirmation text.
- For deliveries - Your Valet will place or hang your clothes outside your door and notify you of their arrival. They will wait six feet away while you collect your bags. If you are not able to come to the door during their visit, they will collect your bags and send you a text to reschedule your delivery for another, more convenient, time.
- For pickups - Your Valet will text you when they arrive at your address. They will wait six feet away from your door while you place your bags outside. Once you close your door they will collect your bags and send you a confirmation text.
How you can help: In addition to keeping a safe distance from our Valets, if you have items with special instructions (e.g. an item needs a repair), please pre-separate the item and put it at the top inside of your Rinse bag. This minimizes our need to find the item within your bag.
Keeping Our Valet Team Safe and Healthy
In addition, we are working to keep our customers and Valets healthy by supporting the health of our Valets. We are providing our Valets with soap and water, gloves, and disinfectants to use as they work their shifts. We are also encouraging Valets who may be experiencing concerning symptoms to stay home. As W-2 employees of Rinse, our Valets accrue Paid Sick Leave so they are able to take advantage of this benefit as needed. We are in constant communication with our Valets and their safety and health (and yours) is our top priority.
During Our Cleaning Process:
We are taking every precaution we can to ensure the safety and health of our Cleaning Teams as well, and to make sure your clothes are returned cleaned and disinfected. Here are some of the steps we are taking:
- Most importantly, the detergent and heat involved in our normal cleaning processes acts as a powerful disinfectant as we clean your clothes. The CDC has confirmed that laundry detergent and heat from various stages in our Dry Cleaning and Wash & Fold cycles are effective at killing the virus.
- Rinse never mixes customer clothing during our launder process. This was true prior to the COVID-19 outbreak as well. Your clothing never comes in contact with another customer’s clothing throughout the Wash & Fold process.
- Since the laundry detergent we use is effective against the virus, our washing machines are cleaned with each clothing cycle. Absolutely no clothing enters a dryer that hasn’t first been washed, to ensure dryers remain virus-free.
- Cleaned orders are always kept separate from unserviced orders in a polyurethane bag. This helps to protect against cross-contamination as well.
- Rinse Operators, Valets, and Cleaning Teams are required to wash their hands prior to the start of their shift, frequently during their shift, and again at the end of their shift.
- Frequent cleaning of all surfaces within Rinse facilities, trucks, and at our Cleaning facilities. This includes the racks where orders are stored and all customer name tags.
- Our Operators, Valets, and Cleaning Teams are being supplied with gloves, hand soap, cleaning supplies, and paper towels.
- Our entire team, including our Cleaning Teams, are required to follow the same 6 feet social distance protocol at all times.
- At all times our warehouses do not exceed 10 employees on premise, and the majority of time we do not exceed 5 people on premise, while adhering to the 6 feet social distance protocol at all times.
We are in constant communication with our Cleaning Teams as well and are working diligently to ensure the safest process possible.
We hope that understanding our processes and some of the safety measures we have taken helps you feel confident in using Rinse during this stressful time. If you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions, please reach out to [email protected].
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COVID-19 UPDATE: This afternoon, Governor Pritzker issued a statewide "Shelter-in-place" order for the state of Illinois, noting that only Essential Services, including Laundry Services like Rinse, will remain open. We are encouraged by the actions taken by Governor Pritzker (and hope to see more of these across the US).
We take our role as an Essential Service very seriously during thie challenging time. Rinse remains OPEN for all our customers in Chicago (in addition to all our other markets) and we are ready to serve you.
You can read more below about the actions we are taking to keep our customers and our team safe and follow this blog for more updates. Stay safe and healthy!
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COVID-19 UPDATE: Earlier this evening, Governor Newsom issued a statewide "Stay at Home" order for the state of California, noting that only Essential Services, including Laundry Services like Rinse, will remain open. We applaud Governor Newsom for implementing strong measures to help us "flatten the curve" and we take our role as an Essential Service very seriously.
Rinse remains OPEN for all our customers in the Bay Area and Los Angeles (in addition to all our other markets) at this time and we are ready to serve you. Read more below about the actions we are taking to keep our customers and our team safe. Stay safe and healthy!
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To our customers,
First, I wanted to send a quick note that Rinse remains OPEN to provide all of our customers an essential service during a challenging time.
Second, I wanted to follow-up on my email from last week. As we all work to navigate the coronavirus outbreak, the safety and health of our team and customers is the main thing on our mind. To that end, we have expanded the "no-contact" delivery options available at Rinse so we can maximize social distance between our Valets and our customers to keep everyone safe.
Effective immediately, we are working to ensure “no-contact” pickup and delivery in the following ways:
+ Rinse Drop is a service we offer for customers who won’t be home (or don’t want to answer the door) when our Valet arrives. This option should only be used by those who feel their bags will be safe when left unattended at the delivery location. There are two ways to set up Rinse Drop:
- Rinse Drop on your current order – If you would like to set up a “one-time” preference for Rinse Drop (meaning we pick up or deliver items without you needing to answer the door on that specific Rinse), authorize Rinse Drop through the link we send you on the day of your order (see below).
![SMS.png]()
Step 1 - The evening of your Rinse you'll receive a text that asks for instructions for your Valet. Just follow the link to update your Rinse Drop preferences.
![fingertips.png]()
Step 2 - Under "Contactless delivery", select “I can’t come to the door” from the options dropdown menu and then authorize Rinse Drop for your order.
- Rinse Drop on all orders – If you would like to set a permanent preference for Rinse Drop, you can do that on your “My Account” page under “delivery preferences."
+ Socially-distanced pickups and deliveries are available if you are able to answer the door when your Valet arrives or do not authorize Rinse Drop.
- For pickups - Your Valet will text you when he/she arrives at your address. He/she will wait six feet away from your door while you place your bags outside. Once you close your door he/she will collect your bags and send you a confirmation text.
- For deliveries - Your Valet will place or hang your clothes outside your door and notify you of his/her arrival. He/she will wait six feet away while you collect your bags. If you are not able to come to the door during his/her visit, your bags will not be delivered and your Valet will send you a text to reschedule for another, more convenient, time.
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If you have feedback, questions, or suggestions on more we can do to optimize prevention and continue to provide an essential service for you during this challenging time, we are very open to it. Please don’t hesitate to reach out.
We will continue to communicate with you during this evolving situation as we make or have any updates.
Stay safe and healthy!
Best,
Ajay
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Ajay Prakash
Co-Founder & CEO | Rinse
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To our customers,
At Rinse, safety is our highest priority. To that end, we are following developments around the coronavirus outbreak very closely and taking the necessary measures to protect our team and our customers.
During this time of uncertainty and increased social distancing, Rinse plans to operate with no interruptions while keeping our team and customers safe. We have taken extra steps to ensure that preventive measures like washing hands thoroughly and disinfecting work surfaces are practiced diligently and frequently across our entire workflow. In addition, the detergent and heat involved in our normal cleaning processes will continue to act as a powerful disinfectant as we clean your clothes.
Here are a few other steps we are taking to optimize prevention:
- For Valets - Our Valets are W-2 employees of Rinse, so they already accrue Paid Sick Leave. We are advising any Valet who has concerning symptoms to stay home and take advantage of this benefit. In addition, we are providing Valets with soap and water, gloves, and disinfectants to use as they work their shifts.
- For Cleaning Partners - We are in constant communication with our Cleaning Partners to ensure they are taking the same proactive measures as our internal team. In addition, to remove any barriers to being fully stocked, we are covering the cost of supplies like gloves, disinfectant, and hand soap for our Cleaning Partners.
- For Customers - We would like to remind you of Rinse’s option for “personless” pickup and delivery (“Rinse Drop”), which may be preferable to you at times like this. Below is a quick overview of your Rinse Drop options:
- One-time preference – If you would like to set up a one-time preference for Rinse Drop (meaning we pick up or deliver items at your door without you needing to be there on that specific Rinse), click on the link we text you on the day of your order that asks for instructions for your Valet. Select “I can’t come to the door” and then authorize Rinse Drop and provide any special instructions around where we can pick up or deliver your clothes.
- Permanent preference – If you would like to set a permanent preference for Rinse Drop, you can do that on your “My Account” page under “delivery preferences.”
In addition to the steps we are taking, there are a few things our customers can do to help:
- Please have your clothes ready and in your Rinse bag when your Valet arrives. To optimize prevention, we are advising Valets to minimize touchpoints across their workflow, and having your bag ready to go will help.
- If you have items with special instructions (e.g. an item needs a repair), please pre-separate the item and put it at the top inside of your Rinse bag. This minimizes our need to find the item within your bag.
- Consider Rinse Drop (but only if you trust your clothes to be left alone outside your door).
We are continuing to monitor and implement local Health Department and CDC guidance for each of our locations. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at any time.
Thanks for being a great customer. We hope you stay safe and healthy during this challenging time!
Best,
Ajay
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Ajay Prakash
Co-Founder & CEO | Rinse
