How to disinfect your warehouse a disinfectant fogger

Staff Writer June 3, 2020May 4, 2022

Due to the current pandemic, the rules and regulations for maintaining a clean, safe working environment have changed. The CDC has developed guidelines that outline the best practices when it comes to cleaning and disinfecting your facility.

Fogging can help. It can disinfect your warehouse and protect your employees from getting ill.

Read on to discover some tips on how to properly clean your warehouse with a disinfectant fogger.

Reasons Why You Should Consider Fogging

When you clean your warehouse, you need to make sure that your employees are at a reduced risk of coming in contact with the coronavirus or other pathogens that can cause serious illness. That can be difficult to accomplish.

Due to the size and layout of many warehouses, traditional cleaning methods don’t work. It’s advised that you wipe down and clean surfaces with disinfectant where possible. However, this may not be possible on high shelves or in between product containers.

That’s when using a fogger comes into play.

Thermal fogging allows you to clean areas that can’t be reached with regular cleaning methods. A hospital-grade fogging liquid can ensure that all harmful viruses, bacteria, and other microorganisms are taken care of so that they don’t make your employees sick.

Tips on How to Use a Fogger in Your Warehouse

A disinfectant fogger can be a great tool to disinfect your warehouse and get into hard-to-reach places. To ensure that the job is being done correctly and microorganisms are being destroyed, there are some tips you need to follow.

Your employees’ health and wellbeing should be your top priority. When you use the right fogging liquid, you’ll be able to protect your employees while they do their job. Your efforts in keeping your warehouse clean might also protect others down the supply line from coming in contact with various germs.

Clean and Disinfect All Surfaces That You Can Reach

While foggers are effective, they are considered a supplemental cleaning tool. In addition to using a fogger, you need to clean and disinfect the surfaces that you can reach with the proper cleaning solution. This will ensure that you are getting rid of all harmful pathogens in your warehouse.

This means wiping down any empty shelves or tables that might be in your warehouse. You might even consider wiping down the support structures of your shelves.

It’s also imperative that you wipe down any forklifts or other equipment that employees use in your warehouse. Pay special attention to the steering wheel and other controls. These are surfaces that get touched often and could be harboring COVID-19 or other germs.

Remove Food From the Area

Should you or your employees store food in the warehouse, make sure to remove this before using the fogger.

Foggers should only be used in warehouses that contain non-food items.

If your warehouse primarily stores food products, then you should reconsider using a fogger. The fogging liquid that you use to disinfect the warehouse could contaminate food products. This could lead to health issues when consumed.

Seal the Space

To ensure that the fogging solution reaches every nook and cranny and takes care of any pathogen that might be hiding there, it’s advised that you turn off all fans and air conditioners and seal the doors and windows.

By sealing your space, it allows the fog to stay in one area to do its job. If there are cracks in the door frame or open windows, this gives the fog a way to escape.

Leaving fans or the air conditioner on will suck the fog out of the room before it has a chance to kill any harmful particles that might be lingering in your warehouse.

Give the Fog Time to Work

Disinfecting your warehouse with a fogger means that someone will have the device strapped to their back and they will walk through the space to distribute the fogging solution.

They should be equipped with the proper personal protective equipment to undertake this task. Once the entire area has been covered, you need to give the disinfectant fogger time to work.

Even if you use an ultra-low volume fogger, on average, you should let the fog sit in the space for 2 hours before airing the warehouse out.

During this time, it’s a good idea to keep employees and others from venturing into the space. Not only can the movement disrupt the fog and make it less effective, but the disinfectant solution may also harm their health. This could be especially true if they aren’t wearing the proper protective equipment.

Air out the Room According to Manufacturer Recommendations

You should wait at least 2 hours for the fog to disinfect your warehouse. Then, you’ll want to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to air out the room.

This will vary depending on the type of fogging liquid you use. Make sure to follow the instructions as listed to ensure that you and your employees are safe after the treatment.

Keeping Your Warehouse Clean

Fogging can disinfect your warehouse. It can also reduce the chance of employees coming in contact and becoming infected with COVID-19 and other germs that might make them sick. You might be asking: Do foggers work?

Foggers are a great supplemental cleaning source that can get into spaces that you can’t reach with traditional cleaning methods. To ensure that your warehouse is thoroughly sanitized and disinfected, it’s advised that you use traditional cleaning methods on surfaces that you can reach.

Not only can disinfecting keep your employees safe, but getting rid of clutter and having the right equipment also reduces the risk of injury.

If during the cleaning process you notice shelf parts are damaged or need to be replaced, check out what Warehouse IQ has to offer. If your forklift needs replacement parts, Warehouse IQ has you covered there as well.

We offer a wide range of jacks, racks, and parts, as well as components for your forklift. If you’re missing your forklift manual, you may be able to find it on our site. You can also find industry information, including the top 20 forklift companies.

We also give you advice and tips on how to keep your warehouse running optimally.
Also, check out this online store for ULV fogging equipment, and parts for all of your warehouse needs.