During this COVID-19 crisis there has been a rash of unqualified and unlicensed cleaning contractors claiming to conduct COVID-19 cleanup. Below are some tips to avoid getting scammed.
Untrained and unlicensed:
Make sure you deal with actual certified “applied microbial remediation services”. These would be established companies with certified IICRC personnel which normally deal with mold infestations or biohazard cleanup. Ask to see their certification. If they are subcontracting ask to find out which company is doing the work and make sure they are certified.
Preying on your lack of knowledge:
CLEANING ≠ DISINFECTION ≠ STERILIZATION
Boulder and Denver area cleaning services have been preying on companies because the average person is unaware there is a difference between cleaning, disinfection and sterilization.
If your space has been exposed to an infected individual you will need to disinfect the space completely, which is only possible though specialized equipment. Wiping down certain surfaces is not adequate and exposing normal janitors to infectious particles is unethical.
CDC website on the difference >
“Cleaning is the removal of visible soil (e.g., organic and inorganic material) from objects and surfaces and normally is accomplished manually or mechanically using water with detergents or enzymatic products. Thorough cleaning is essential before high-level disinfection and sterilization because inorganic and organic materials that remain on the surfaces of instruments interfere with the effectiveness of these processes. Decontamination removes pathogenic microorganisms from objects so they are safe to handle, use, or discard.”
– Center for Disease Control and Prevention
The middlemen scam: $$$
In just two weeks we have met scammers that have added $5000-60,000 on top of the cost of disinfection jobs and passed that cost onto the building management or tenant. Make sure you are not paying too much by getting quotes from IICRC certified companies.
Bleach damage and the wrong solutions:
Wiping, fogging or spraying with the wrong solutions will damage your property and may not kill COVID-19. Many companies are simply using cheap disinfectants they have in stock instead of the proper solutions. Using bleach or hydrogen peroxide can do a lot of damage to your property. There are some powerful and good disinfectants which are very likely to kill COVID-19 but were not allowed to be tested by the EPA in the initial tests, so exercise judgement here and check out the solutions they will use.
- If they claim to use EPA registered solutions, ask to see the jugs or packets of solution while they work or from the back of their vehicle. Take photos as evidence if there is a mismatch.
- Put the EPA approved solutions requirement in your work contract with them, so if they violate it you may avoid payment. Non-EPA approved solutions used by most cleaning companies are to be avoided.
Note: many cleaning companies have bought up and hoarded the right solutions for disinfection however don’t have machines, certifications and trained personnel to do the job.
REPORT SCAMS TO US:
If you think you were scammed please call us and we can help you with checking certifications and reporting the scam to authorities. Email: [email protected]
Rocky Mountain Restoration is licensed, bonded, insured and has over a decade of experience. ViroDecon is our service which uses dedicated gear for disinfection services. About our experience and certifications >