The product has to match the germ
No single disinfectant works on everything. The EPA publishes lists of registered products, one list for each kind of organism, and a product may only claim to work against something if the agency has reviewed the evidence and approved the wording on the label.
- List G: norovirus, the usual cause of stomach bugs that sweep through a household.
- List K: C. difficile spores, which call for a product tested against them.
- List H: MRSA and VRE.
- List P: Candida auris.
- List S: bloodborne viruses, meaning HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C.
- List N: the virus that causes COVID-19.
Ask the company for the product name and its EPA registration number. You can look both up yourself in a couple of minutes.
What a proper job includes
Cleaning before disinfecting
Disinfectant is weakened by dirt. Surfaces are washed first, then treated.
Contact time
Every label gives the number of minutes the surface must stay wet. Spraying and wiping straight off does not count.
The things hands touch
Door handles, light switches, taps, the flush, rails, elevator buttons, the fridge door, remote controls and phones.
Disinfection questions
Is this only for homes?
No. Offices, shops, day-care rooms, gyms and the common parts of apartment buildings are all ordinary requests. Say what kind of space it is and when it can be empty.
Do soft furnishings need to go?
Not usually for an illness alone. Bedding and clothes are laundered hot. A mattress or sofa that has been soiled is a different matter, and the company will say so when it sees it.
Once the police hand the home back, phone
The person who answers works for an independent cleanup firm active in and around Yonkers. Put any question to them. Whether to hire them is up to you.
Phone answered at every hour, weekends and holidays included
Calls can be recorded. How that works: privacy, and how this service is paid.