Enterprise Holdings is enhancing its cleaning procedures through a new initiative with Clorox.

Enterprise says the collaboration reinforces its Complete Clean Pledge, which the company implemented to help customers feel confident as they begin to travel again.

Enterprise Holdings’ Complete Clean Pledge is a commitment to health and safety practices throughout all of its operations. That includes vehicles, branches, shuttles and employees and customers.

The company will kick off the initiative by providing what it describes as an industry-first in car rental: a one-count Clorox Disinfecting Wipe in every vehicle rented through its brands: Enterprise Rent-A-Car, National Car Rental and Alamo Rent-A-Car.

The Clorox Disinfecting Wipes are approved by the EPA to kill SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, when used as directed. Each wipe includes directions for use. Also included are instructions to use it on the vehicle's high-touch, hard nonporous surfaces.

Enterprise is rolling out the effort this month throughout the Southeast. It will expand to locations throughout the rest of the U.S. and Canada after the first of the year, as well as to the Enterprise Truck Rental and Enterprise Car Sales businesses.

Enterprise Holdings’ senior vice president of North American operations Will Withington said the company started the program to increase customers’ peace-of-mind.

“We heard this loud and clear from car rental customers — they want more personal cleaning control, in addition to our already rigorous cleaning and sanitizing procedures that follow each rental,” Withington said in a news release. “In fact, nearly 80% of those we surveyed said they would feel most comfortable renting if they were to receive a disinfecting wipe to wipe down high-touch areas themselves.”

The company introduced its Complete Clean Pledge in May. Since then it has worked with its three car rental brands to advance health and safety practices throughout their operations.

“That's why we are proud to provide an additional layer of customer control and peace of mind on top of our Complete Clean Pledge with the trusted cleaning and disinfecting expertise of Clorox,” Withington said.

Enterprise said that as it works with Clorox to benefit customer health and safety, it hopes to improve consumer confidence across North America in the years ahead.

"As the world continues to confront the global COVID-19 pandemic, disinfectants play an important role in and out of the home,” said Heath Rigsby, vice president of Out of Home at The Clorox Company.

Rigsby continued, “Helping to restore confidence in essential travel is an important step in our recovery as a society. Our program with Enterprise, a company committed to the highest standards of cleanliness, allows us to continue supporting businesses as they serve their customers in a responsible way.”

Enterprise is working with Clorox to look at additional ways to incorporate other products into its safety and car cleaning practices and test new technologies throughout its rental operations.

"We want customers to know we are working closely with trusted experts and always reviewing our cleaning standards and protocols and that their safety is our highest priority as they begin to travel, now and in the future," Withington said.

Enterprise Holdings expanded on Complete Clean Pledge’s long-term commitment to well-being and safety in the areas of vehicles, branches, shuttles and employees and customers.

Regarding vehicles, Enterprise Holdings’ thoroughly cleans them between every rental and backs that with an in-vehicle Complete Clean Pledge notification. This includes washing, vacuuming, general wiping down and sanitizing with a disinfectant that meets leading health authority requirements, emphasizing more than 20 high-touch points. The company is also investing throughout its global operations toward upgrading cleaning and car wash facilities. That includes industrial vacuuming and cleaning equipment along with lighting.

In the area of branches, Enterprise says employees frequently sanitize touchable surfaces with disinfectant throughout the day in branch locations. That includes counter tops, phones, tablet devices, payment devices, door handles, and other high-touch areas. The company is also investing in and improving the rental experience. That includes implementing permanent low- and no-touch rental options such as advanced check-in at Enterprise’s neighborhood locations and enhanced curbside and delivery processes. The company said that echoes National’s Emerald Club experience in which members get a virtually no-touch process and bypass the counter to reserve and choose a car from the Emerald Aisle, check out and go.

Regarding shuttles, The company cleans and sanitizes high-touch areas of its shuttles with a disinfectant frequently and between trips. Enterprise implements social distancing protocols as passengers board, ride and depart. It also limits the number of passengers on each bus.

On the topic of employees and customers, employees working in branch locations follow what the company describes as best practices recommended by health authorities. The company says it does that to help protect and reduce risk. That includes requiring employees and customers to wear face coverings inside locations, limiting numbers of employees and customers in branches, and using social distancing inside and outside of locations. The company has installed Plexiglass and counter shields at branch locations.