How Effective Is Fogging in Protecting Against Viruses

Nowadays, people are more careful and have become more aware of the risks of being lenient with handling germs and viruses. Fortunately, we have managed to create better weapons to combat these viruses, all at our disposal. One of these is the invention of the fogging machine that can help us with the fight against the unseen enemy.

What is Fogging?

Fogging, as the term suggests, is the use of disinfectant sprayed from a Fogging machine to create what looks like fog in the room. It is an effective way of disinfecting high levels of horizontal surfaces, hard-to-reach areas that are often missed or forgotten, as well as confined spaces such as extractor units. It can also be effective at disinfecting vertical surfaces.

Advantages

You might be wondering, “Why should I even consider fogging when I can just stick to the standard cleaning practices?”. You’ve got a point right there. However, there’s a list of benefits Fogging can provide its user. These includes:

• Safe and effective if carried out correctly.
• Effectively reduces airborne contaminants.
• Effectively disinfects hard to reach areas.
• Highly effective at disinfecting horizontal surfaces.
• BioHygiene’s surface sanitizers, which are suitable for Fogging, have proven effective on the surface and demonstrated up to 5 log reductions after 5 minutes.

Disadvantages

Despite its many benefits, fogging does have certain limitations. Fogging is a method that uses chemicals in its gaseous or fine liquid state. With it being in this condition, there are some restrictions to using this technique. Some of these are:

• Due to the presence of gravity, it is only partially effective on vertical walls
• Not effective at disinfecting the undersides of horizontal surfaces.
• No impact on closed areas
• Fogging is not a replacement for standard cleaning practices.

Is it safe?

As regards its safety, you can perform this technique yourself but it is recommended that you take up services from professionals. Companies such as Clearway are offering fogging services, and they can help in making sure that the fogging technique has been executed properly and safely. Professional aid is always an option that should be considered because they ensure that the task is performed with enough knowledge at hand.

To ensure maximum safety, this technique requires the utilization of a chemical suit, high-quality and durable gloves, and an air-fed ventilator, and a sealed mask. Make sure that the correct concentration of the active chemical is used. There should be enough for it to work properly, but not so much as to leave a residue that may remain at unsafe levels for some time after treatment ends.

In addition, there are fogging cleaning systems available in the market that use disinfectants that contain a natural antimicrobial and anti-viral active ingredient. This minimizes environmental impact through its biodegradable, low toxic formula. This means that it is environmentally-friendly and safe, especially for those with pets in their homes.

Essentially, fogging isn’t something that should be used as a stand-alone form of disinfecting a space. Fogging should be viewed as a sort of an additional measure that is used on top of a successful cleaning and disinfection. The technique should be seen and regarded as the top-level measure for disinfection, and not a replacement for the overall cleaning & disinfection practices.