How Electrostatic Disinfection Works and Why It’s Essential for Your Office

Posted By The Clean Team On March 1, 2021

Benefits of electrostatic disinfection services for your office

Nothing is worse than coming to a grim realization of just how dirty your office can get. Staffed with dozens — if not hundreds of people — the everyday foot traffic is heavy, with food and oily fingers getting everywhere that’s busy, and dust and cobwebs accumulating where it’s not.

This is exacerbated by the fact that you know there are millions of germs on each surface, the vast majority of which are so small that they’re often ignored and left to accumulate. Thankfully, there’s a new disinfection technology out there capable of tackling even the smallest and most overlooked bacteria.

Enter electrostatic disinfection, a new higher level of cleansing that uses the power of science and physical property to thoroughly clean individual workspaces, or even an entire office building.

What is electrostatic disinfection?

This technology has technically existed in the manufacturing field since the 1940s because of its recognition as the optimal way to quickly apply an even coat of liquid to almost any surface, but only recently have commercial cleaning companies like RBC Clean started using it to spread disinfectant. Given COVID-19’s ongoing storming of the world, it’s likely that you will need disinfection in the near future.

Cleaning companies typically use liquid spray dispensers either from a handheld container, a battery-operated backpack system, or even large roller carts capable of encompassing tens of thousands of square footage in a given hour.

Whatever the exterior, all sprayers work according to the same guiding principle. That is, they charge the liquids as they dispense through the nozzle. This electric charge causes the droplets to repel one another while sticking to surfaces that they’re applied to, in essence creating a solid coating efficiently and effectively over equipment and other objects.

In practice, the cleaners will be suited up in protective garb, walking around the office using a nozzle to spray out the particles that do the work of cleaning.

For a slightly deeper understanding, consider magnets. The charged particles are essentially magnets being given a positive charge, thus repelling each other. Surfaces in a workspace meanwhile have a negative charge because they are usually grounded, meaning that on top of being repelled from itself, the disinfectant is drawn towards the surfaces around it. Thus, you can rely on even and quick distribution over all surfaces.

Why choose electrostatic disinfection?

You may be wondering what exactly the point of electrostatic disinfection is given that like other disinfection methods, it only lasts until the surface is interacted with again. That means no protective barrier is made; it only protects surfaces until they are touched again. So, why spring for a more comprehensive method if the end result is a need for reapplication?

One advantage is that it’s totally touch-free, meaning you won’t spread any germs or disrupt any existing office set-ups. The application is also very efficient and controlled, allowing for the exact amount of disinfectant, and not one iota more. As a result, you can avoid overspraying or overuse of any kind.

The big draw, however, is just how much time you can save with this method. Because of how quickly the cleaning solution will adhere to the necessary areas, you can expect around an 80% time-saving over other more traditional methods.

This speed doesn’t require any sacrifices in effectiveness either. Electrostatic disinfection is capable of covering three times more surfaces compared to sprays and wipes or even other disinfecting methods with 360-degree coverage and sanitization of surfaces.

This powerfully deep cleaning is particularly important given the pandemic, with the system effective at killing the COVID-19 virus. Considering that the coronavirus can live for up to five days on surfaces, you will want to make sure that you get all of them. You will also want to ensure that cleanings happen regularly, so that viruses and other carriers of disease can’t spread.

Do note that electrostatic disinfection is not a full replacement for regular touchpoint disinfection — wherein objects are handled directly — but it is a great addition.

Does it leave a residue?

An unfortunate side effect of this cleaning method is that it can leave a light layer of residue. As the disinfectants used must stay on surfaces at a level where they’re visibly wet for set periods of time to be effective, this can end up streaking the surface.

However, this problem can be circumvented mostly with regular cleaning between disinfection periods. You should thus be able to avoid accumulating residue over time.

Is it safe to use around electronics?

Considering that your business, like many, is probably to some degree reliant on electronics, it’s important that the cleaning product you use doesn’t damage everyday devices.

Thankfully, this disinfection service can be safely performed around laptops, monitors, and keyboards, provided it is not applied at too close a range. However, you should definitely put away paper documents along with anything else you wouldn’t want to get sprayed.

Is it safe for the person applying it?

While protective gear may be worn, they are not strictly required for this service. The actual solution is just disinfectant, meaning it shouldn’t be harmful to the applier or to people in the vicinity during the service.

Closing Thoughts

Electrostatic disinfection is a fancy phrase that covers a relatively simple term. It basically involves the usage of positive charges to evenly disperse and spread disinfectant.

It comes with advantages, too, from its ability to deep clean and fully cover any surface to its rapid application process. Best of all, it’s safe, both for the people in your office and for the electronics they work with.

For more on sanitizing and disinfection cleaning services, contact us at RBC Clean at 1-855-493-9259. Alternatively, access our portfolio of cleaning methods via this webpage.

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