COVID-19 Disinfection for Nyanga homes and businesses

Nyanga is one of Cape Town's oldest townships and a major transport hub, with the busy junction and taxi ranks along Klipfontein Road. High density, busy trading areas and stormwater issues all affect pest pressure here.

The local picture in Nyanga

Crèches, clinics and churches near the junction are the usual disinfection clients, and shops often book a sanitise after a rodent clean-out. After winter flooding, wiping down and disinfecting floors and lower walls is worth doing before furniture goes back.

Nyanga sits on the flat, sandy Cape Flats, where winter rain can pool and flood low spots because the water table is high. The South-Easter blows sand and litter around in summer. Stormwater channels and open land nearby provide cover for rodents.

Homes range from older formal brick houses to backyard structures, hostels and informal dwellings built close together. Shared walls and tightly packed structures let rodents and cockroaches move easily between homes. Spaza shops, street traders and small food businesses operate from homes and containers. Gaps in walls and roofs, and floors at ground level, give pests easy access.

A note from the field

When we walk into an office after a positive case, the first thing we look at is the shared kitchen. Kettle, fridge handle, microwave buttons and the tea-towel nobody washes.

Tell-tale signs

1. A client, landlord or head office has asked for proof that the premises were disinfected.
2. Vulnerable people, such as the elderly or anyone on chemotherapy, live or work in the building.
3. Shared equipment such as till points, keyboards, phones and kitchen counters is used by many hands every day.
4. A staff member, resident or regular visitor has tested positive or gone home sick with flu-like symptoms.

What happens when we come out

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.

Want the full step-by-step? See how our COVID-19 disinfection service works.

Prevention that actually works

• Put a daily wipe-down of handles, switches and shared phones on someone's task list, not just the cleaner's.
• Know who to phone before you need it, so a positive case does not turn into a day of scrambling.
• Open windows where you can. Cape Town's south-easter is good for something, and moving air dilutes airborne virus.
• Stop sharing headsets, pens and keyboards between shifts where you can avoid it.
• Place hand sanitiser at entrances, the kitchen and the till, and keep it topped up.

Pricing, honestly

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

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