What is Electrostatic Spraying? Deep Cleaning at a Distance

Whether it’s a restroom sink handle, a hostess stand stacked with menus, or a kid’s play area full of books and toys, in any kind of business there are an endless number of surfaces that are contaminated with hundreds of thousands of germs and disease-causing pathogens. Floors, doors, walls, you name it; they’re germy. From car dealerships and restaurants to office buildings and hospitals, no business is immune.

We’ve all seen those shocking photos of areas that “look” clean until they are put under a microscope and disease-causing pathogens such as MRSA, Norovirus, Influenza H1N1, HIV, Hepatitis, E. coli, Streptococcus, and Salmonella (to name a few) come to light.

Fortunately, the cleaning industry is evolving and bringing new germ killers and disinfectants to the fight, specifically, electrostatic spraying.

Electrostatic spraying, a method of adding a positive electric charge to a liquid applied from a sprayer, is not entirely new. The paint industry has been using it for decades to ensure nice, even coats of paint on all kinds of products. But now the cleaning industry has adopted the method as an improved way to clean and disinfect any kind of surface you can imagine.

Here’s how (and why) it works:

An uncharged disinfectant is put into an electrostatic sprayer. Before it releases through the nozzle, a positive electric charge is applied. As it releases from the sprayer, the liquid breaks up into small positively-charged particles that repel each other and atomize. Opposites attract, and those positively charged particles are drawn to and adhere to negatively-charged surfaces. Walls, floors, and fixtures are naturally grounded and negatively-charged. In this case, dirty, germ-infested, negatively-charged surfaces and positively-charged disinfectant from an electrostatic sprayer go together like yin and yang.

Why it’s better

For starters, electrostatic spraying ensures a complete and even coat of disinfectant is applied to all surfaces from a (not too far) distance. No more worrying about the old mop and bucket method or getting on your hands and knees, which can result in an uneven application or wiping germs from one area to another causing cross-contamination.

Electrostatic spraying also has a huge advantage when it comes to getting hard-to-reach places, especially those dark and grimy corners and undersides in a restroom where few would ever venture. In cleaning large spaces or hard to reach areas, spots inevitably get missed, either by accident or simply because a cleaning crew may opt to focus on high-touch areas. Electrostatic sprayers can easily spray every surface in every room, so you get a more thorough disinfecting. This is critical in areas like hospitals or places susceptible to food-borne illnesses.

Another advantage of electrostatic spraying is that it naturally works with the science behind killing bacteria. For disinfecting to do its job, it generally needs to sit on a surface for at least 5-10 minutes WET to kill bacteria. Anyone who simply sprays and wipes (very common) and tells you your space is disinfected is lying. It needs time to work. When an electrostatic sprayer is used you can spray it and forget about it. The time it takes the surfaces to dry is the time it needs to do its job, completely and thoroughly.

Safety first… always