Vredehoek clings to the slopes of Devil's Peak above the City Bowl, and it is one of the windiest corners of town when the South-Easter is up. Lots of apartment blocks, a few older houses and the mountain right above shape the pest picture here.
The local picture in Vredehoek
Body corporates ask for lobby, lift and refuse room sanitising, and rentals between tenants need disinfection. Short-stay apartments use it between guests.
De Waal Drive and the mountain slopes form the upper boundary, with the greenbelt and Table Mountain National Park beyond. The South-Easter drives dust and leaves into every gap in summer. Winter brings heavy rain and cold, damp air that settles in ground-floor flats and basements.
How to tell you have a problem
- 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.
- Several people in the same office or household have fallen ill within a few days of each other.
- Shared equipment such as till points, keyboards, phones and kitchen counters is used by many hands every day.
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.
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.
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
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
Do rats in Vredehoek come from the mountain?
Some do, especially near De Waal Drive and the greenbelt. Keeping refuse rooms clean and sealing basement gaps reduces them a lot.
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.
Is it safe for children and pets afterwards?
Yes, once the re-entry time has passed and the room has been ventilated. Keep pets and kids out while we are working.
Why are there cockroaches in my Vredehoek flat when I keep it spotless?
In older blocks they usually come through shared ducts and pipes from other units or the refuse room. A building-wide treatment through the body corporate gives the best results.
Do you come out to Vredehoek for COVID-19 disinfection?
Yes. Vredehoek is part of our regular City Bowl & Atlantic Seaboard route, along with Oranjezicht, Gardens, Zonnebloem, Walmer Estate. Most bookings are done within about 48 hours, and after-hours visits can be arranged.
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.
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