Gastown hair stylist happy to spend lockdown as a hospital cleaner
To help battle COVID-19, Kelley Schedewitz put down her scissors as a hair stylist and picked up disinfectant when she got a job as a cleaner at St. Paul’s Hospital.
Now she is heading back to styling hair in her Gastown salon after working as a housekeeper at the downtown hospital for more than eight weeks.
“When Dr. Bonnie Henry gave the order for all salons to shut down, I knew I needed income to keep up on the commercial lease, and I wanted to do something against COVID-19,” she said at St. Paul’s on Thursday, her last day at the hospital.
“I’m not a medical doctor, not a nurse. I don’t have medical skills to contribute. I definitely have practice in housekeeping and cleaning from the salon.”
She thought if she scrubbed really hard, it would be her own personal contribution to getting rid of the virus.
“I know I sound crazy,” she said. “You can’t actually see (the virus). I felt if I could go over it enough times, I could help eradicate it — and it’s true.”
When she started in the morning, her first job was to disinfect her cart. Then she got any supplies she needed for the day and went to her assigned floor. Her job as an enhanced cleaner was to focus on touch points such as elevator buttons, light switches and railings.
“I learned that there are specific methods for cleaning and how to use personal protective equipment safely,” she said. “I’m glad I did because I can bring that back to the salon.”
She also learned that cleaning is hard work.
“It is really meticulous, but it’s also really, really rewarding,” she said.
Schedewitz can’t say enough about her colleagues and the staff at St. Paul’s and Crothall Healthcare, the company that has the contract for cleaning at the hospital.
“There are so many people here working together to fight this virus, and everyone is doing their own part, from food service workers all the way up to surgeons,” she said.
“Housekeeping is a super-important job.
“The men and women are working really hard to do their part in eradicating the virus. It made my day whenever anyone stopped and said ‘Thanks!’”
Sarah O’neill, Crothall site manager, said Schedewitz is one of 180 cleaning staff at the hospital.
“From our temp cleaners to our staff who have been here for years, these guys do such a fantastic job,” she said.