man sprays disinfectant on office chairs
PHOTO COURTESY OF ABLE SERVICES


Able Services purchased EvaClean’s backpack system for disinfecting a client’s 3-million-square-foot Class A office complex, consisting of four office buildings. Sivori says he favors the backpack unit because it is cordless and easy to use. To date, approximately seven of the 400-plus tenants have requested the add-on disinfection service using the electrostatic sprayer. 

Sivori stresses that the electrostatic system does not replace regular cleaning chemicals or processes but rather serves as an adjunct service when tenants want to ramp up disinfection efforts. After routine dusting and wiping down of surfaces, the janitor uses the electrostatic machine to spray the entire floor plate, including restrooms, breakrooms, kitchen areas, cubicles and offices. Sivori estimates that each floor is 20,000 to 25,000 square feet and takes one janitor approximately four hours to disinfect.

The battery-powered sprayer uses hypochlorous acid effervescent tablets dissolved in water to disinfect. The tablets come in different strengths to address a range of sanitizing and disinfecting needs. Users can also adjust the particle size of the sprayer for different functions and dwell times. 

To disinfect, the janitor stands approximately six feet away from the target area and waves the wand back and forth to coat all surfaces. The electrostatic spray wraps itself around hard-to-reach areas and objects that janitors usually don’t have time to clean, such as the underside of built-in handles on filing cabinets.

“Once the spray hits one area it moves on to the next, so there’s no build-up [of product], and the surface is dry in five to 10 minutes,” says Sivori. “You can use it on walls, doors, computer monitors, coffee makers and even papers on the desk. We’ve seen pictures with black lights where it gets underneath the toilet seat, even though the seat is down.”

Able Services has been using electrostatic disinfection in his client’s office buildings for about eight months, and although results are hard to quantify, feedback from tenants has been positive. 

“Customers have thanked me,” says Sivori. “It’s given folks peace of mind, knowing that you’ve gone above and beyond routine cleaning, and you’re using technology that has data to back up its kill claims.”