Keeping things clean is not just a matter of sanitation and keeping delicate equipment running; it is also a big business to provide services for cleaning out anything from surgical equipment to kitchen counters to industrial fans. Dust, pollen, harmful insects, food stains, and much more can coat a surface and make it unsanitary or unable to do its job, but when the right cleaner service is called, any mess can be taken care of. Steam cleaning, dry ice blasting, and more are options to take.
What is Dirty?
Plenty of surfaces can become contaminated, and sometimes, regular cleaner chemicals of rags will do, while other times, the option to steam clean or use dry ice is better, depending o on the mess. Speaking broadly, three types of hazards can contaminate food: biological, chemical, and physical, where biological includes microorganisms, chemicals are solvents and pest control, and physical is hair, dirt, crumbs, and similar matter. When present on cooking utensils or surfaces, such as pots and pans or kitchen counters, these contaminants can make food unsafe. In fact, the CDC has determined that one in six Americans will get sick every year by consuming food or drinks that are contaminated. And in general, people are strongly turned off by unclean surfaces; in a survey, 29% of respondents said that they would not return to a restaurant that had unsanitary bathrooms. Unfortunately, even when people have sensible aversions to dirt and grime, bacteria and messes are everywhere, even in hospitals. Almost 100,000 people die per year from diseases that were contracted in hospitals, according to the CDC. What can be done?
Dry Ice and Steam
The good news is that cleaning kitchens, computer parts, and surgical equipment does not have to involve noxious chemicals or sprays. Instead, steam cleaning and dry ice blasting are strong options for any contamination. Steam clean methods can avoid many of the fumes and corrosive components of regular cleaners, making the job easier and safer for the person and surface alike.
A steam clean job uses about 1.5 quarts of water per hour, meaning that it is virtually mess free, with no powder, residue, or other chemicals or leftovers when the job is done. Steam clean work is not only sanitary this way, but effective, too: when faucet handles and paper tower dispenser handles are cleaned with superheated steam, they will have only 1/10th as many bacteria on them than if transitional cleaning methods were used instead. Even bed bugs can be killed this way, most effectively if the pets are on the surface of items, but steam will kill them even if they are 3/4″ deep into fabric surfaces. For bigger jobs than bathrooms or beds, industrial steamers may be brought in for use in a warehouse, factory, or on or in a vehicle. Steam clean services can be found nearly anywhere, and professionals can be hired over the phone or Internet to take care of a job.
Dry ice blasting equipment uses a similar method but with different materials. A steam clean job uses water; dry ice does not even need that much. In this case, frozen carbon dioxide, known as dry ice, is forced through a machine at high pressure to blast surfaces free of any contamination or mess. Dry ice evaporates quickly at room temperature and leaves no residue, meaning that dry ice blasting is 100% residue free. Dry ice can reach deep into items or spaces where regular cleaners cannot go, and since no chemicals are involved, nothing will become corroded from the process. Anything from car engines to computers to kitchens can be cleaned this way. The main hazard is the dry ice itself; it is stored at a very low temperature, meaning that it can easily stick to the skin and damage it from contact, so protective equipment is recommended when handling blocks of this material. The sublimated carbon dioxide is a hazard too, so breathing apparatuses are recommended whenever dry ice blocks are handled. And as with a steam clean service, a client can call different services and get information on fees and expected cleaning time.
