LIHU‘E — When the Pali Climbing Wall opened its run at the Kukui Grove Center, one of the first questions from a parent was, “How do you, and how often, do you clean the wall?”
A similar thought was on the mind of Melissa McFerrin-Warrack, the specialty leasing manager at the Kukui Grove Center, as she wrangled with the question of Santa Claus and the opening of Santa’s House.
“We clean it with the fogger before we open,” said Mason Chock of Kaua‘i Team Challenge, owners of Pali Climbing Wall. “Then again, after its use for the day. In between, we sanitize the individual harnesses that climbers use.”
The fogging machine is key to Kaua‘i Sanitation Service that provides Kaua‘i Team Challenge with not only the foggers, but the solution it uses to “clean,” which effectively disinfects and sanitizes the wall.
Kaua‘i Sanitation Service was started in the summer of 2020 at the height of the global novel coronavirus health crisis to answer one of the many concerns of cleaning and sanitizing surfaces of offices, living spaces, residences, and exotic machinery, like the Pali Climbing Wall.
Santa’s House falls into those categories as McFerrin-Warrack wrangles with the sanitation and cleanliness of the space that is anticipated to draw large numbers of keiki and families coming to visit Santa and Mrs. Claus.
“We’re currently being used by the Regency at Puakea, a retirement and assisted living facility,” said Emily Manuel, the Kaua‘i Sanitation Service CEO and president. “They are concerned about the dining area where they clean before and after each meal to keep it clean and safe for its residents.”
Kaua‘i Sanitation Service also holds the Certificate of Compliance from the State of Hawai‘i that places it in compliance with the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Hawai‘i Department of Taxation.
It is also on the list of compliant firms with the Hawai‘i State Department of Education, Manuel said.
According to material from Kaua‘i Sanitation Services, fogging is the most effective way to disinfect using world-leading technology. The fogging machine produces ultra-fine, non-wetting “dry fog.” This means important documents and sensitive electronics will not be damaged by using the fogging machines that can cover large areas in a small amount of time, and does not need to be wiped down following treatment.
The dry fog droplets remain intact without bursting when they come into contact with objects such as walls, electronics, or people which leads to no wetting.
The solution used for the fogging machines, available as a large unit for bigger areas, and as a hand model for more frequent cleaning or spot cleaning, is a blend of antimicrobial plant extracts, particularly from thyme, creating a proprietary active ingredient essential oil — Thymox.
This is the only authentically botanical disinfectant in North America, states the KSS material.
Disinfectants work by destroying the cell wall of the microbes, interfering with their ability to modify a cell’s metabolism. Thymol induces instability in the micro-organisms’ membranes, causing cell content leakage and death.
The disinfectant also meets Environmental Protection Agency criteria by claiming to kill 99.99%of allergens, bacteria, viruses, and fungi and molds. It also completely degrades in less than 14 days.
A full list of the technical specifications can be found by visiting www.kauaisanitationservices.com.
Kaua‘i Sanitation Services includes disinfecting, including High-Touch Disinfecting, professional cleaning, as well as demonstrations and training on “dry fogging” — all with free delivery.
