When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in mid-March, two local friends each with nearly three decades of experience in the construction industry decided to abandon their former business model and create a new company for the times.
We Clean COVID-19 was born in Lou Paulozza’s Newmarket basement, where he and co-founder Mitch Moshenberg hammered out a plan that soon found licensed HAZMAT abatement professionals deep cleaning and sanitizing indoor and outdoor spaces for a variety of clients as the economy reopened.
The duo already had experience in hazardous material removals, such as asbestos and mould. And members of their crew are licensed and trained technicians who are used to dealing with hazardous materials, including oil and gas spills.
“It was pretty natural, actually, we just retooled, went out and bought a bunch of equipment, invested in some products, and trained our crews in the particular protocols,” said Moshenberg, on learning that some of their construction-related projects were put on hold because of the coronavirus crisis.
“My partner and I looked at each other and said, ‘We have to do something about this, we’re not ready to sit around and do nothing, we’re going to help fix this’, and we did,” he said.
Deep cleaning and sanitizing during a pandemic are key to safely reopening businesses, offices, and public spaces, according to the Ontario government and public health guidance.
It’s an activity that Newmarket’s cleaning team can expertly do usually within a few hours, depending on the square footage of the space.
The We Clean COVID-19 team have leveraged their construction and new-home building contacts and are providing certified sanitization to new homes and condominiums before the owners take possession.
The company is currently cleaning the homes at the Treasure Hill subdivision in Aurora, and has other builder clients in Newmarket, Markham, Georgina and across the GTA.
“We go in once the trades are finished, and we deep clean and sanitize, and ensure the home is safe for the new owners,” Moshenberg said. “That’s an awful lot of square footage that we deal with just in that field.”
Other clients include the automobile sector, retailers, and restaurants and bars, such as the recently sanitized Safari Bar & Grill on Avenue Road in Toronto.
“We’re on the frontline every day,” he said. “When the public is present — and we’re all trying to get back to work and be present in spaces — to go back to some semblance of normalcy, we’re going to have to employ some different techniques than before, and that involves being knowledgeable and learning how to clean properly.”
The company offers clients a consultation at no charge that includes cleaning and sanitization advice specific to the business, such as a nail salon.
“If you need us, we’ll give you the service affordably,” he said.
The COVID-19 clean team uses safe, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-approved industrial strength green cleaners and degreasers available only to licensed professionals, including MYCO and Benefect Decon 30, which are used by HAZMAT abatement experts.
With the help of engineers and environmental consultants, the team can test the environment after cleaning to guarantee it’s 100 per cent safe and free of COVID-19, said Moshenberg.
That level of assurance is achieved with a swab test and computerized analysis of the level of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the material that the virus needs to survive, Moshenberg said.
“If you reduce ATP below 50 parts per million, then the virus is not able to survive,” he said.
“We will do everything in our power to help businesses get back to business, and until this virus goes away, we’ll continue to do what we can to provide affordable, guaranteed and safe solutions,” said Moshenberg.
Clients are advised to clean and sanitize regularly in between professional deep cleaning, paying particular attention to the hotspots of kitchens and bathrooms, said Moshenberg.
We Clean COVID-19 also gives back to the community through pro bono work for non-profit groups, including Good Shepherd Ministries and Regeneration Community Services.
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