The COVID-19 pandemic has brought out the best and worst in companies that provide janitorial services. The best, like Reese Professional Cleaning Service, took the time to become OSHA certified for coronavirus sanitizing to CDC standards. The worst started using machines that fog a room with disinfectant mist.
Did you know that the CDC has not approved this technique? The CDC’s 2008 guidelines stated definitively, “Do not perform disinfectant fogging in patient-care areas.” That recommendation was based on studies reporting the chemicals in use had “lack of microbicidal efficacy” – meaning they didn’t work – and “adverse effects on healthcare workers and others.”
Newer fogging technologies for room decontamination (e.g., ozone mists, vaporized hydrogen peroxide) were assessed for the CDC’s most recent guidelines in 2011. No recommendation was made about those because, the CDC said, “More research is required to clarify the effectiveness and reliability of fogging, UV irradiation, and ozone mists to reduce norovirus environmental contamination.”
So if your janitorial company is disinfecting your facility by fogging it, you are in the guinea pig group that is being studied now.
The safest and most effective way to remove bacteria is with soap, water and a clean microfiber cloth. That is how we do it, whether we are cleaning government buildings, medical facilities, or your office. It takes manpower to disinfect the right way, which is a big reason some janitorial companies jumped to fogging. Employing fewer people saves them money! We believe in doing everything the right way, in accordance with proven science to achieve both sanitization and safety for our workers and yours.