Let me preface this post with my recurring mantra… THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES. Meanwhile, I take your safety seriously, and will my best to make your massage experience as safe as possible. I just ask you do take the proper precautions on your end, so hopefully, we can all stay safe and healthy.
In the meantime, I wanted to give you a more thorough rundown of some of the stuff I’ve been doing around the office. These steps are based on a combination of guidelines from FSMTB, AMBP, the State of Maine, and other resources.
Personal Prevention
Face Coverings/PPE:
- Everyone needs to wear a face mask.
- If you don’t have a mask, I have one for you.
- I will be wearing a mask and face shield during your massage, this includes a fresh mask for each client and a sanitized face shield.
- A fresh apron is used for each session.
- I will wear nitrile (latex-free) gloves if one or both of us have any open cuts/scrapes, or broken skin.
Hand Sanitizer: Bottles of hand sanitizer are available upon entrance to the office, as well as in the massage room.
In the Massage Room
The Massage Table: The table has a protective cover over the padding & table warmer that can be disinfected. It makes the table a little bit slippery, but you get to keep all the comfy padding. I disinfect all the hard surfaces of the table after each appointment.
Air Flow & Purification: The windows do not open. So, there is an air purifier in the office with HEPA filtration and UV sanitation that is in constant use throughout the day. A fan will be used to get air moving out of the office between appointments.
General Stuff
Linen Storage: The sheets and other linens are in closed storage areas.
Dirty Laundry: After each session, the laundry is placed in a closed, step-lid container.
Trash Cans: The trash cans are now all closed, step-lid cans to help contain germs.
Table Covers: The cloth table coverings have protective vinyl over them for easier cleaning & disinfecting.
Disinfecting: I use a checklist to help thoroughly clean & disinfect every area of the office between appointments.
How I’m Doing: A dry erase board in the office has my temperature (morning and afternoon) and if I have any symptoms, as well as the number of contacts & places I’ve visited in the last 5 days. I’m also willing to use the touch-free thermometer to check my temperature on your arrival if you wish.
General Clutter: This part hurts my heart because I love all my gifts from clients and shiny doo-dads, but I have cut down on the number of things around the office that might collect dust and germs.
Self-Serve Items: The self-service baskets of mints, chocolates, and tea have been put away. The candy will still be out in small amounts for your sugar rush! Water will be available.
One more time: THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES. If you are coming in for a massage, I am trusting you to be honest with me about your health and your risks, as well as your potential exposure to COVID-19. Safety is a two-way street right now. See the COVID-19 Policies section for more details, and be sure to check out the High-Risk Clients section to make sure you’re not missing an important risk.
Thank you for your continued patience, cheerleading, and moral support!