Thornton is a small, leafy suburb squeezed between Pinelands, Epping Industria and Goodwood. Being right next to an industrial area means rodents are never far away, even on the quietest residential streets.
Hygiene & disinfection around Thornton
Small offices and the nearby factories ask for regular sanitising, and rentals between tenants need disinfection. Schools in the area use the service during flu season.
The suburb is fairly flat, with Cape Flats sand underfoot and big trees that shade gardens and roofs. Winter rain soaks the ground and pushes rodents and ants indoors. The railway lines and open strips along them act as green corridors for rats.
Worth knowing
Disinfection is not a substitute for ventilation. In a Cape Town winter it is tempting to keep everything closed, but fresh air does a lot of the work for you.
Landlords sometimes ask us to treat a flat between tenants after illness. It is a reasonable step, and the written report is useful if anyone asks questions later.
Signs to look for
- Several people in the same office or household have fallen ill within a few days of each other.
- You are about to reopen a space that was closed because of illness.
- Normal cleaning has been done, but nobody has wiped door handles, light switches and lift buttons properly.
- Shared equipment such as till points, keyboards, phones and kitchen counters is used by many hands every day.
- Vulnerable people, such as the elderly or anyone on chemotherapy, live or work in the building.
- A client, landlord or head office has asked for proof that the premises were disinfected.
Respiratory viruses spread mainly through the air between people, but contaminated surfaces play a part, particularly in busy shared spaces. For a business the bigger cost is often staff absence: one case that turns into five can empty a small office for a week. There is also a trust issue, because staff and customers want to know something was actually done. Surface disinfection lowers the load on surfaces, but it does not replace ventilation, staying home when sick or medical advice.
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.
- 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.
Keeping them out afterwards
- 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.
- Put a daily wipe-down of handles, switches and shared phones on someone's task list, not just the cleaner's.
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.
Our busiest disinfection months are the wet Cape winters, from about May to August, when people are packed indoors with the windows shut and flu and colds spread fast. We still see call-outs in summer, usually after a single case in an office or a care home.
Questions we get asked in Thornton
Do you come out to Thornton for COVID-19 disinfection?
Yes. Thornton is part of our regular Northern Suburbs route, along with Pinelands, Epping, Goodwood, Ndabeni. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
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.
Can you remove a squirrel nesting in my Thornton ceiling?
Yes. We find the entry point, deal with the squirrel and then seal the gap so it cannot come back.
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.
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 the rats in Thornton come from Epping Industria?
Often, yes. The warehouses and the railway reserve support large rat populations, and they move into gardens in winter, so blocking roof and drain access on your home is important.
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