Fogging – The Ultimate Deep Office Cleaning Method

Fogging was used to perform a deep clean in the past. It was a method that is reserved for extreme cases and not its most common uses.

It was not until the coronavirus epidemic that this situation changed.

All of a sudden, fogging office spaces and shared workspaces was embraced as a brilliant way of tackling the virus; a germ proven to be both airborne and Cleaning staff in protective clothing and wearing respirators disperse the fog using spray guns.

A fine mist of disinfectant chemical hangs in the atmosphere like a cloud. Fogging is commonly used in many sectors, such as the food industry. It saturates cleaned environments with disinfectant, destroying airborne bacteria and disinfecting difficult-to-reach areas.

This method is faster and more effective than manually disinfecting every surface.

What is fogging?

There are several ways to fog.

Permanently installed systems fog the floor when not in use. Mobile fogging devices can be used in facilities that require less frequent disinfection or cannot accommodate permanent equipment.

A trained cleaner must be able to fog mobile vehicles. They will need full PPE including gloves, a chemical suit, a breathing apparatus and a sealed mask.

Fogging takes between 15 and 30 minutes depending on the size area to be treated. It can take up to 45-60 minutes after fogging for the mist on all surfaces to settle. The residue that has settled may then need to be removed, depending on which disinfectant was used.

The cleaning process requires that the building be shut down for up to 6 hours. Before people can safely reenter the work place, fog must completely evaporate.

Is fogging safe?

Prior to the COVID outbreak, fogging was widely used and did little harm to anyone except the germs. Fogging is not without risk, so it must only be done by professionals. It is important to adhere to all safety measures, even if this means additional downtime.

Airborne disinfectants may cause irritation of the skin, eyes, and respiratory system. Everyone must leave the area during the specified time on the label and fogging device.

Once it is safe, you should perform any post-fogging cleanup (like residue removal), as specified by the product.

Children, animals, and asthmatics are all more susceptible to chemicals. The method used for fogging should be chosen with care, depending on the people who will use the space.

There are also other safe methods to use with office equipment. (We’ll discuss them later). To avoid contamination, you should also take extra care around food preparation areas and other food-related areas.

There are different foggers for each application. Each uses a specific technique and chemical.

Cleaning techniques for fogging

What’s the best solution if wet fogging damages electronics?

Dry fogging is a must!

Dry fogging is a mix of peroxyacetic and hydrogen peroxide. This prevents the damage caused by moisture in fogging techniques. This is not technically Dry, as it still uses aerosol sprays. It just won’t affect electronics.

What are the alternatives to chemical products? Short wave ultraviolet light is effective at killing microorganisms but it only works on the surface. It won’t reach areas where the light cannot shine.

UV treatment can be very effective when it reaches the surface. However, if there are a lot plastics in the environment, you should take extra precautions. Certain plastics will break down rapidly if exposed to UV light.

Ultra Low Volume (ULV) fogging is used for concentrated targeting.

What is ultra low volume (ULV?) fogging?

ULV uses a highly-targeted misting technique with variable droplet size. It allows for the precise application and treatment of disinfecting mists. Instead of treating an entire room, key surfaces can be treated. ULV fogging has the advantage of avoiding sensitive electrical equipment.

Pre-cleaning is important before fogging

Why do you need to clean the office space before fogging?

If you’ve been reading this far, you probably know that fogging isn’t a technique you can use on its own. It should be used along with hand-cleansing, especially around sensitive equipment and people.

Fogging is not a cleaning process but a disinfection. should be thoroughly cleaned before fogging to remove dust, dirt and grime. Applying disinfectant to dirty surfaces is not a good idea, as microbes can find refuge and become more prominent.

Does fogging still affect our workplaces and how can we prevent it?

Fog in the office should be a thing of past now that lockdowns are over and normal life has returned. It’s possible that it will be for the majority of us, now that and WFH has affected cycles for Office Cleaning in Vancouver.

The coronavirus hasn’t disappeared. Although the news cycle may have shifted and our attention drawn to other issues, COVID still exists. Although the number of cases is lower, don’t forget to remember that COVID-19 has tragically claimed 10,789 lives in Wales.

Do we need to use disinfectants on our work surfaces? This depends entirely on your company, its nature, the frequency with which you clean, and how many members of your staff work at home or in a hybrid environment.

What is not in question, however, is the importance of regular office cleaning. This will be especially important as we move closer to flu season and what could now be called “COVID Season”.

It is essential that we take good care of both our team and our workplace. We at The Fresh one services are committed to maintaining this standard for both our team and our customers.