Sales Of Electrostatic Sprayers Continue To Soar

In addition to purchasing the backpack unit, Sivori bought a handheld unit, which the BSC uses to disinfect another client’s 1,000-square-foot gym for office building tenants. The facility is disinfected on a nightly basis following regular cleaning. 

After the janitor completes his regular routine of wiping down the equipment and refilling the wipes, he starts at the farthest corner from the exit. Standing three to four feet from the target area, he slowly waves the electrostatic unit back and forth, allowing the mist to come into contact with the surfaces as he backs out of the area.

As in the office setting, the spray wraps itself around complex-shaped objects and accesses hard-to-reach areas that are often overlooked during regular cleaning routines. 

“Even though the dumbbells are on the rack, it can get underneath the handles,” says Sivori. “It encompasses all the weights, except the bottom of the medicine balls.”  

After spraying down every surface in the gym, the janitor enters the locker room. Every Friday, the lockers are cleaned out, and the doors are left open allowing the user to spray inside each locker. 

The entire facility, including the gym, locker room and showers, takes approximately five minutes to disinfect with the electrostatic system. 

“Gyms can get really sweaty and nasty, and humans can’t do as good a job as the positively charged mist that comes out of the machine and attaches to everything,” says Sivori. “There’s no risk of cross-contamination, and our client is pleased that we’ve figured out a better way to clean.”

Positively Charged Partners

The partnership between Able Services and WAXIE Sanitary Supply has been mutually beneficial. WAXIE supplies Able with refill tablets as needed and conducts follow-up training when new employees come on board. 

Electrostatic technology is growing in popularity and many of WAXIE’s customers are intrigued by the new innovation. Giamona has made a sale every time he has demonstrated the system to his customers — a first for any product he has ever sold. 

The beauty of electrostatic technology, says Giamona, is that it can be used virtually anywhere. Giamona has sold the technology to schools — one to address an infectious outbreak and another to address a rodent infestation in the library. He has sold it to an animal boarding facility where it replaced two chemicals that were needed to achieve the same kill claim. He even recommended it to a client who was looking for a way to disinfect giant LEGO blocks and children’s rain boots.

Like Sivori and Giamona, Able Services’ janitors have been receptive to the new technology. Sivori has trained two employees to use the system at the gym and six employees at the office site. The reduction in staff needed to disinfect these buildings has been a boon in what Sivori describes as a tight labor market. 

“We have to work smarter, and that’s one thing we’ve done at these sites,” says Sivori. “We’ve introduced about 30 different innovations, and this is one of the best.”

Kassandra Kania is a freelancer based in Charlotte, North Carolina. She is a frequent contributor to Sanitary Maintenance.