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    DEEP CLEANS: Help Fight COVID-19

    Residential / Commercial

    Residential
    Commercial

    When we first added steam cleaning services to our portfolio in 2015, we did so because of its high temperature and sterilization benefits. Deep Cleans Canada is happy to report that steam cleaning is noted as one of the most effective solutions for killing the coronavirus. In addition, we have recently added new innovative germ prevention technology to help in our fight against outbreaks.

    Steam Cleaning and COVID-19

    Heat treatment has proven effective in killing past viruses, particularly in areas where you may not be able to use detergent, such as for soft furnishings. The Government advice on cleaning COVID-19 says, “When items cannot be cleaned using detergents or laundered, for example, upholstered furniture and mattresses, steam cleaning may be used”.

    Steam has often been highlighted as a good way to decontaminate areas. After the norovirus outbreak, the UK produced a guide on cleaning cruise ships to prevent infection, including cleaning carpets and upholstery using steam at a temperature of at least 70C.

    Steam can also be used on other surfaces for general cleaning. The advice from WebMD for cleaning up after an illness is to expose upholstery to steam for at least five minutes at 70C or one minute at 100C. An excerpt from the EPA website states that:

    “Steam cleaners can be used to sanitize…without chemicals. They can be used on many surfaces, including bathroom fixtures, floors and countertops, carpeting, and upholstery. Dry vapor steam cleaners use super-heated low moisture steam – no chemicals – for disinfecting, sanitizing, and cleaning surfaces. They are very effective and approved for food contact as well as other surfaces including carpets and upholstery. They are one of the most effective ways to remove bacteria that have formed a biofilm… Dry vapor steam cleaners have been shown to be very effective for disinfecting and is approved for food contact surfaces as well as other surfaces.”

    Steam cleaning is the best chemical-free alternative to most cleaning options. Steam cleaning offers a more effective sanitation and kill rate than conventional chemical cleaning and also does not need to be rinsed off like other chemicals. Most chemicals require a specific amount of dwelling time, whereas steam does not. Superheated blasts of vapour evaporate almost instantaneously and kill even resistant microorganisms while producing minimal water waste and zero residue. Chemical residue, however, can not just damage but can also contaminate a surface with things like oxidizers that are toxic to humans. As well, pathogens have been proven to build resistance towards certain chemicals. However, no bacteria or virus has been proven to build immunity against the high temperatures produced by steam cleaning.

    Aqueous Ozone
    and Covid-19

    Stabilized Aqueous Ozone (SAO) is thought to be one of the best solutions for battling against SARS-COV-2, given what we know about the virus so far. Deep Cleans provides a SAO cleaning service, using state-of-the-art SAO Sprayers.

    What we know for a fact is that SARS-COV-2 is an enveloped virus (as opposed to a naked virus) and almost identical to SARS Coronavirus (SARS) in composition. Both are enveloped viruses and Ozone has been proven to kill the SARS coronavirus (there are over a dozen studies available online regarding its effectiveness against SARS).

    Unlike bacteria (which itself multiplies) viruses multiply only within the host cell. Ozone destroys enveloped viruses by diffusing through the protein coat into the nucleic acid core. This results in damage to the viral RNA. At higher concentrations, ozone destroys the capsid or exterior protein shell by oxidation. Once the shell is compromised, its DNA or RNA core cannot survive. This is what allows SAO to be so effective against Coronavirus.

    STEAM

    STABILIZED AQUEOUS OZONE

    CHEMICAL

    Dwell Time1 minOn Contact10 min
    Need to rinsenonoyes
    Toxic to Humansnonoyes
    Harmful to Petsnonoyes
    Damage to Surfacenonopotential
    Hard Surfaceyesyesyes
    Upholstery/Fabricyesnono
    Needs precise mixnonoyes
    Eco-Friendlyyesyesno
    Kill Rate99.99999.99999-99.999
    Proven Virus Killyesyesdepends
    Can Pathogen Build Resistance?nonoyes