The Foreshore is office towers, hotels, the convention centre and the freeways, all built on land reclaimed from Table Bay. It is almost all commercial work here: food courts, hotel kitchens, parking garages and building basements.
The local picture in Foreshore
Offices, hotels, the convention venues and food outlets book regular disinfection and fogging, especially after illness outbreaks.
The whole area sits on flat reclaimed land between the city centre and the harbour, with the sea and the docks right next door. The South-Easter rips through the streets between the towers in summer. Old stormwater and sewer lines run underneath, and that is where most of the rodent pressure comes from.
Big office blocks, hotels, apartment towers and the CTICC dominate, along with the station precinct, parking garages and service lanes. Basements, service ducts and refuse rooms link entire buildings, so rodents and cockroaches can travel floor to floor without being seen. Food courts and hotel kitchens need constant attention. Residential conversions add flats to the mix.
Rats from the harbour and sewers, German cockroaches in commercial kitchens, and pigeons on building ledges are the main issues. Bed bugs are a hotel and residential concern.
Tell-tale signs
- A client, landlord or head office has asked for proof that the premises were disinfected.
- You are about to reopen a space that was closed because of illness.
- Shared equipment such as till points, keyboards, phones and kitchen counters is used by many hands every day.
- Normal cleaning has been done, but nobody has wiped door handles, light switches and lift buttons properly.
- A staff member, resident or regular visitor has tested positive or gone home sick with flu-like symptoms.
Worth knowing
For homes with small children or pets, the main rule is simple: everybody out during the treatment, windows open afterwards, and wait out the re-entry time we give you.
How the treatment works
We start with the boring part that matters most: wiping down high-touch surfaces by hand with a suitable disinfectant, because fogging alone does not scrub a greasy door handle. Then we fog the rooms with a ULV fogger, which puts out a fine mist that settles on surfaces, including the ones nobody thinks to wipe. We choose products that are suitable for the surfaces and the people who will use the space, and we tell you how long to keep the area closed before re-entry. Electronics are covered or wiped rather than soaked. Afterwards you get a short report listing the areas treated and the product used.
- Quick call or WhatsApp
Tell us what happened, the size of the space and when you need it back. We plan around your hours, including after-hours and weekends on request.
- Walk-through
We check the layout, the high-touch points and anything sensitive like server rooms, food areas or medical equipment.
- Manual wipe-down
Handles, switches, desks, counters, taps and shared equipment are wiped with disinfectant first.
- ULV fogging
Each room is fogged with the doors closed, then left for the recommended contact time.
- Ventilate and hand back
We open up, confirm the re-entry time and leave a written report for your records.
Stopping a repeat visit
- Place hand sanitiser at entrances, the kitchen and the till, and keep it topped up.
- Keep people at home when they are sick. It does more than any amount of spraying.
- Open windows where you can. Cape Town's south-easter is good for something, and moving air dilutes airborne virus.
- Know who to phone before you need it, so a positive case does not turn into a day of scrambling.
- Put a daily wipe-down of handles, switches and shared phones on someone's task list, not just the cleaner's.
What affects the price
The cost depends mostly on floor area and how many separate rooms need fogging. Heavy furniture, lots of electronics or food preparation areas take more time because they need careful wiping and covering. After-hours or weekend work and repeat treatments during an ongoing outbreak also affect the quote, which is free.
A household with one sick person can do a decent job with gloves, a disinfectant and some discipline about door handles and the bathroom. For an office, a shop or a care facility, I would get it done professionally, partly for the thoroughness and partly because you get a written record that it was done properly.
Frequently asked questions
Does fogging kill the COVID-19 virus?
The disinfectants we use are effective against enveloped viruses on surfaces when they are given the right contact time. Fogging treats surfaces in the room; it does not make the air or the people in it immune.
Will it damage computers or documents?
No, a ULV fog is very fine and settles lightly. We still cover or wipe sensitive electronics instead of fogging straight at them.
How long before staff can go back in?
Usually a couple of hours after fogging, once the room has been aired. We confirm the exact time on the day based on the product used.
Do rats on the Foreshore come from the harbour?
Some do, but most come through the sewer and stormwater network under the reclaimed land. Basements and refuse rooms are the usual way in, so that's where we focus.
Can you treat our Foreshore restaurant kitchen after trading hours?
Yes. After-hours and weekend visits are available on request, and you get a post-treatment report for your records.
Do you come out to Foreshore for COVID-19 disinfection?
Yes. Foreshore is part of our regular City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route, along with City Bowl, De Waterkant, Woodstock, Green Point. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
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