Coronavirus in Ohio: What to ask when hiring a cleaning contractor – msnNOW

Provided by The Columbus Dispatch Leighann Goodson, an employee at CleanTech, a professional cleaning service, prepares to clean some of the companys office space on Tuesday, March 24, in Columbus, Ohio. Goodson and other CleanTech employees work in commercial or construction spaces to professionally clean potentially contaminated spaces during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. [Joshua A. Bickel/Dispatch]

Plenty of contractors who provide cleaning services, ranging from routine janitorial work to mold remediation, are offering to provide businesses with a "deep clean" before they reopen to the public during the pandemic or after an employee tests positive for the coronavirus.

But finding someone who can do the job properly and effectively isn't easy.

"It's unregulated," said Ron Greenbaum, president of the Basement Doctor in Columbus. "That's a huge problem. ... It's like the wild, wild West. ... Some of the chemicals being used are harmful or noneffective."

Coverage that informs. Stories that inspire. Investigations that affect change. This is The Columbus Dispatch. Subscribe today.

Although no license is required for those who provide cleaning, disinfecting and remediation for the coronavirus, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued recommendations for proper cleaning and disinfection of "community facilities" frequented by the public, such as office buildings, schools, day care centers and retailers.

The recommendations include making sure that surfaces first are cleaned of dirt and debris with detergent or soap and water, followed by disinfection with a product that is approved by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use against hard-to-kill viruses.

Those products are contained on what the EPA calls its "List N." The labels for the authorized disinfectants all contain an EPA registration number.

Greenbaum said one of the first questions a business should ask of anyone offering to clean for the coronavirus is whether any "N list" products are used.

Many of the contractors who are trained and equipped to handle the coronavirus have experience in dealing with mold and lead remediation or the biohazards present when dealing with sewage backups or crime scenes, said Kirsten Hoedlmoser, a chemical engineer and certified industrial hygienist in Toronto.

"Those things are very analogous" to remediating the coronavirus, she said. "They're dealing with a hazardous or potentially hazardous environmental issue that could cause someone harm."

A clue to the ability of a cleaning business to do such work could be certification by a trade organization such as the IICRC, the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification, she said.

Paul Davis Restoration on the Far North Side has that certification, but it isn't advertising itself as remediating the coronavirus, said Mike Slusher, general manager of the local franchise, which is part of a national chain.

The Columbus staff is properly trained and willing to do such work, but makes it clear to customers that unlike the cleaning and disinfecting it does for damage from water, fire, mold and biohazards, it can offer no warranty for remediating the coronavirus, he said.

"The moment we're done cleaning, we can tell you it's disinfected, but the next person to walk in can bring the virus with them," he said. "You need to look for a company that is honest with you about that."

Paul Davis' parent company has put out a list of questions that businesses and other should ask a coronavirus cleaning vendor. The questions include:

Do you have experience with biohazard cleaning?

What type of personal protective equipment will your employees wear?

What type of chemicals will you use (and are they EPA-approved)?

What cleaning techniques will be implemented?

Hoedlmoser, who works for the global engineering consulting firm Envista Forensics, said she sympathizes with business owners who already are hurting financially due to the pandemic and find themselves staring at "a big price tag for a cleaning company" after an infection.

"But I do think it's important to remember that you get what you pay for," she said. "There are contractors who specialize in this sort of thing, and they may be more expensive. ... It's important that you make sure you get a contractor who knows what they're doing, especially if you have a space where you know" the coronavirus was present.

Hoedlmoser also appreciates the frustration for businesses that are grappling with a new virus that isn't fully understood, remediation efforts for which there is no licensing, and guidelines that continue to change.

"Everyone is scrambling to figure out how to respond," Hoedlmoser said. "Every expert I know is trying to wrap their arms around this."

jfutty@dispatch.com

@johnfutty

See the article here:
Coronavirus in Ohio: What to ask when hiring a cleaning contractor - msnNOW