Deep Disinfection, Detailed Disinfection and Professional Cleaning

“Deep Disinfection” is a term that is gradually gaining a foothold in our society’s vocabulary as we all contemplate what lies ahead when we eventually need to go back to work and play.

While the phrase “Deep Disinfection” sounds very reassuring, at Arelli Cleaning, we believe that it may give people a false sense of security. This can lead to decisions that may sound good, yet can put many people at risk and create unnecessary cost for business owners.

This is worrisome.

We believe that people should be able to make informed decisions – especially when it involves the health and safety of people.

Below, you will find some key points about “Cleaning”, “Disinfection”, and “Fogging”, to help you make sense of the options at your disposal. You will also find references to publications and related articles that you may find interesting and helpful.

Why You Should Clean First, Disinfect After

In simple terms, you have to clear the way for active ingredients in any disinfectant to come in touch with harmful pathogens to be able to destroy them – as a disinfectant’s effectiveness is greatly reduced when dust, grime, biofilm, or any other material create a physical or organic barrier that prevents the active ingredients to their job.

“Cleaning” before “Disinfecting” is a recommendation that comes from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW)

How do we perform effective cleaning for a commercial, office or residential building?

1. At the beginning, all frequently touched areas beyond table tops, desktops, light switches, telephones, keyboards, all handles and knobs, light switches etc. must be clearly identified. This can be achieved by working closely with the client to understand requirements that are unique to every facility.
2. Apply a cleaner/degreaser on these areas or wash them with soap and water.
3. Use a disposable towel to wipe off the surface in one direction only. This allows the contents of the surface to be picked up by the towel.

The surface is now ready for applying the disinfectant.

Time for “Disinfection”

There are multiple ways of applying a disinfectant. Generally used methods are spraying, misting, fogging, and wiping.

Two major contributors to a successful disinfection service are:

1. Selecting the right process: Choosing the right mechanism or a combination of mechanisms to apply disinfectant is critical. Choosing when to spray, mist, fog or wipe or use a combination is critical for success. We have to ensure the right amount of disinfectant is applied with the right method, and is left there for the right amount of time for it to be effective.
2. Choosing the right disinfectant: Reputable cleaning or disinfecting focused companies will provide you with the Safety Data Sheet and the Drug Identification Number (DIN) of the chemical(s) they use. We suggest you cross reference the DIN you receive with the website from Health Canada below. LOOKUP Drug Identification Number (DIN) HERE

Achieving a healthy environment, a challenge that requires everybody’s contribution

Disinfection is just a piece of the puzzle. It’s helps you get a clean slate. Beyond that, it’s up to everybody in the building to maintain a safe and healthy environment.

Property managers and administrators must establish and facilitate social distancing policies, provide hand sanitizers, promote personal hygiene, and follow public health guidelines (CLICK HERE TO FOLLOW).

What is Fogging? How can it help with Disinfection?

Fogging in the cleaning industry means the administration of a disinfectant by transforming liquid disinfectant to droplets in various sizes. Fogging requires special equipment and must be done following guidelines that promote effectiveness while keeping the operators safe. Fogging helps distribute disinfectant over a larger surface area in a shorter amount of time while giving the operator more control in achieving a uniform distribution.

Fogging (as currently used in the industry) is when the equipment used produces droplets that are anywhere between 10 to 100 Microns. Ultra Low Volume (ULV) foggers are capable of creating droplets that are between 10 to 30 Microns and resemble what we can see as “mist”. These are the preferred type of foggers for the business, due to the fact that they provide the operators more flexibility to achieve uniform distribution of different amounts of disinfectant.

Is “Deep Disinfection” right for my business or should I just stick to “Detailed Disinfection”?

In our opinion, there’s a time and a place when “fogging” is relevant. Think about painting. You use a brush in some areas and spray for others. “Disinfection” gives you a clean slate.

If you are in a situation where there has been confirmed or suspected infections in your workplace, or you are unsure whether the building has been exposed — it would be a good idea to go for a Deep Disinfection that includes fogging.

But other times it can be overkill when a Detailed Disinfection would suffice.

Additionally, we recommend you speak to your cleaning company, review their processes to ensure they follow a complete disinfection process periodically and according to your needs.

How does Arelli use “fogging” in deep disinfection?

We use ULV foggers that allow us to produce droplet sizes varying between 10 to 30 Microns — providing a fine mist that gives us the capability to apply uniformly across various surfaces.

From the entire team at Arelli — we hope you stay safe and healthy. We are working hard to do our part.

Frequently Asked Questions

How Safe are the Chemicals used for the procedure? Any chemical we use would have a Drug Identification Number (DIN) with Health Canada with approved administration routes for a variety of spaces including Domestic buildings, Food Premises, Hospitals and Health Care Facilities, Institutional and Industrial buildings. Can this service help sanitize our facilities against COVID-19? We use the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) and Health Canada’s websites to lookup active ingredients for the chemicals we use. Is this service safe for Pets or Plants? Any disinfectant we use will be non-toxic and safe to use around plants and animals when used in right concentrations and applied properly. Is this service safe for Office Electronics, Metal or Wood Surfaces, Upholstery or other common surfaces in various buildings? Any disinfectant we use is non-harmful to surfaces and office electronics commonly found in commercial, medical and industrial buildings when used in right concentrations and applied properly. Where are these types of services being used today? Office buildings and Medical Clinics, Daycares and Schools, Athletic Facilities and Gyms, Restaurants and Grocery Markets, Trains, Planes and Buses, Hotels and Conference Centers. How long does it take to perform this service and how quickly can I use the facility afterwards? The service is performed over night for all types of buildings. We will coordinate to perform this service after business hours if we are your cleaning service provider. If you do not use Arelli as your cleaning service provider or would like to have this done at your home please talk to us and we will work on an alternative solution together. Are there any Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in chemicals we use and would they create any type of allergy? There are no Volatile Organic Compounds in our disinfectants. Any remaining chemical on surfaces are hypo-allergenic and non-irritating to skin and eyes. What happens after the service is performed? Do I need to do anything special? There’s nothing for you to do after the service is performed. No rinsing, no special instructions. If you like to extend the effectiveness of the service though, ensure your hands are always washed properly prior to touching common surfaces and cover your face when sneezing or coughing and follow your organization’s policies and procedures. Do you have an Eco-Friendly solution? At this time, we are only using organic hospital grade disinfectant for our services.