Formula 429 – Is there a safe way to deep clean buildings?

Kathleen ElliottApril 13, 2020Environmental, ESOL, Fogging, Home and Business Hygiene0 comments

Unless you have been living under a rock, you will be more than aware of the worldwide situation concerning the Corona virus (COVID-19).

The government in the UK, much like the rest of the world, has imposed strict rules to combat the spread of the virus:

Stay at home
Only go outside for food, health reasons or work (but only if you cannot work from home)
If you need to go out, always stay 2 metres (6ft) away from other people
Wash your hands as soon as you get home
Do not meet others, even friends or family. You can spread the virus even if you don’t have symptoms.

These guidelines apply to individuals like you and I, but what about the essential services that are still operating during this period?

Of course, as individuals they follow these guidelines too but how do employers ensure that their business premises are sanitary and safe for their employees?

Many types of businesses and organisations require deep cleaning:

Hospitals
School
Warehouses
Food preparation buildings
Vets
Doctors surgeries
Call Centres
Offices
Ambulances
Restaurants
Cruise ships
Ferries

Why should I deep clean my business premises?

The government states that “the {Corona} virus can remain infectious on surfaces for up to 96 hours” Lord Kennedy of Southwark (Lab Co-op)

Currently (April 2020) Formula 429 is being used to decontaminate buildings up and down the country. Formula 429 is an antimicrobial chemical widely used for infection prevention and control however has not yet, been tested on COVID-19.

It is the first choice for a large percentage of cleaning companies and is recommended by the manufacturers for many purposes such as:

Sanitising and deodorising carpets
Sanitising upholstery fabrics
Fogging into building to sanitise surfaces
Flood and infection control

What is an antimicrobial?

“A general term for drugs, chemicals, or other substances that either kill or slow the growth of microbes”

Is Formula 429 safe to use?

Looking at the safety data sheet, the list of cautions fills me with dread!

May be corrosive to metals
Causes severe skin burns and eye damage
May cause an allergic skin reaction
Suspected of causing cancer
Very toxic to aquatic life with long lasting effects

Formula 429 is fogged into areas in a fine mist, which will inevitably leave any porous surfaces damp.

It states that people can enter the area after 10 minutes of it being fogged however there will be a residue left on surfaces which could cause allergic skin reactions.

You can check out the Safety Data Sheet for Formula 429 here

What are the issues with traditional deep cleaning using Formula 429?

Aside from the health and environmental issues associated with Formula 429 there is another problem, downtime.

Formula 429 is a chemical that is diluted with water and then fogged into rooms and over surfaces.

Because of the dangers associated with Formula 429 any premises being treated needs to be evacuated whilst the fogging is being carried out.

Clearing offices, making sure hospital wards are empty, reorganising call centres; this all culminates is a costly procedure.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, the New York stock exchange undergoes a deep clean each week at the costs of thousands of dollars a month. The upheaval, cost and good old elbow grease that goes into this procedure is monumental

But there is an easier and safer way…

Can a building be deep cleaned safely?

The short answer is yes, a building can be fogged to rid it of bacteria and viruses quickly and safely.

Fogging ESOL™ is a safe and effective way of killing all bacteria and viruses safely without any harm to humans, animals or the environment.

Does ESOL™ kill the corona virus (COVID-19)?

We understand that people are really worried about the COVID-19 virus and some people will do anything in their power to rid their premises of any bacteria.

The thing is deep cleaning to kill bacteria and viruses doesn’t have to come at the cost of the environment and the operators whose job it is to work with chemicals such as Formula 429.

When it comes to killing bacteria and viruses, ESOL™ has been proven to be effective against:

MRSA
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Difficile Spores
HIV
Norovirus

ESOL™ is currently being independently tested against the corona virus (COVID-19) and along with our academic partners at the University of West of England, we are confident that it will pass.

If you would like to be the first to know about the test results, pop your email in here and we will be in touch:

What next?

Ensuring office buildings and vehicles are bacteria free is high on the priority list of a lot of companies. Not only could it be the difference between working or things grinding to a halt, it also gives employees confidence in their employer that their health and wellbeing is a priority.

We will be rolling out our fogging service in late May / JUne 2020, if this is something that you would be interested in please leave your email address below.

You will be the first to know:

When the service is live
You will be able to book your preferred slot
Entering your email address gives you 10% off your order.

There are a few links in this article so to save you searching, we have bundled them all together here for you 😊

How is a professional deep clean carried out?

How is the New York stock exchange deep cleaned during the Corona virus pandemic?

Allergic reactions to household chemicals – why safe cleaning choices are vital

What is ESOL?

We have teamed up with Owen Morgan and his team at Global Ecology Group

How can you deep clean safely?

Formula 429 Safety Data Sheet

ESOL™ Safety Data Sheet

Kathleen Elliott

Mum, wife, In-house marketer at the Bridge Group and lover of the burpee :)