Tamboerskloof climbs steeply up the slopes of Lion's Head and Signal Hill above Kloof Street. Old houses, tight streets and the mountain right behind them make it a suburb where rodents and timber pests are a fact of life.
Tamboerskloof: what drives hygiene & disinfection here
Guest houses and Airbnb units ask for disinfection between bookings, and restaurants use sanitising alongside pest control. Shared apartment refuse rooms benefit from regular treatment.
Signal Hill and Lion's Head are part of the Table Mountain National Park, and the greenbelt reaches right to the top streets. Winter rain runs down the slope and keeps old basements and retaining walls damp. The suburb is sheltered from some wind, which lets flies and mosquitoes linger on warm evenings.
Victorian and Edwardian homes with wooden floors, sash windows and pressed-ceiling interiors sit beside newer apartment blocks and converted guest houses. Many older houses have suspended timber floors with a crawl space underneath, which rats and mice use as a highway. Kloof Street's restaurants and shops add a busy commercial layer at the bottom of the suburb.
Worth knowing
A common mistake is to fog first and wipe later. Dirt and grease shield viruses from disinfectant, so we clean the high-touch points before the fogger goes on.
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.
Signs to look for
- 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.
- 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.
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.
- Put a daily wipe-down of handles, switches and shared phones on someone's task list, not just the cleaner's.
- Stop sharing headsets, pens and keyboards between shifts where you can avoid it.
- 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.
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
Do the rats in Tamboerskloof come from Lion's Head?
Some do, especially in the top streets near the greenbelt, but plenty also move between restaurants, bins and old homes lower down. Sealing roof and floor gaps on your house is the key step either way.
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.
Do we have to close the whole building?
Not always. We can treat the affected section first and work around the rest, or come in after hours.
Do you give a certificate or report?
You get a post-treatment report listing the areas treated and the product used, which most landlords and head offices accept as proof.
My Tamboerskloof Victorian has small holes in the floorboards. Is it wood borer?
Small round exit holes with fine powder underneath are a classic sign of borer. We can inspect, confirm whether it is active and treat it, which also helps when you need a beetle certificate for a sale.
Do you come out to Tamboerskloof for COVID-19 disinfection?
Yes. Tamboerskloof is part of our regular City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route, along with Gardens, Higgovale, Bo-Kaap, Schotsche Kloof. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
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