A START-up business based in the Tees Valley is launching a decontamination service which is proven to kill Covid-19 on surfaces including soft furnishings and food preparation areas.

Chem to Kill, launched by commercial director Kate Soley and operations director Jack Woods, combines manual touch point cleaning with a chemical fogging technique, where surfaces are treated with hydrogen peroxide via a specially designed misting machine.

Both the silver stabilised hydrogen peroxide used for the fogging treatment and DuoMax, used in the manual deep cleaning, have a 99.9999 per cent kill rate against coronavirus pathogens, and Duo Max is UKAS and NHS approved.

Once the area has been fogged, Chem to Kill staff will test the oxygen levels in the area to ensure that it is safe to return to work. Hydrogen peroxide has been used as a disinfectant in hospitals around the world for many years due to its high success rate against bacteria and viruses.

The firm also offers an in-vehicle canister treatment, which treats an empty vehicle in ten minutes, leaving it clean for use. This is aimed particularly at the fleet vehicle market and is suitable for any vehicle used by multiple employees.

Jack Woods, operations director, said: “I’ve worked in the cleaning sector for around five years, so I know these products are the best for businesses looking to kill Covid-19 and return to work with the peace of mind that surfaces are clean and safe. Fogging is the quickest and most effective method to sanitise all areas, large or small, and causes minimum disruption to the workspace, reaching areas conventional cleaning methods can’t."

“We’re excited to be able to offer businesses in the North East access to our new decontamination service to get them back to work with minimum fuss, while doing our bit to help put an end to coronavirus.”

Kate Soley, commercial director at Chem to Kill, said: “One of the great things about the chemicals we use is that they’re safe to use in food prep areas, safe on soft furnishings and they aren’t harmful for children, which means we’ve been able to work with nurseries and education providers to prepare for their return.

“Also, due to the nature of fogging, the size of the space is unimportant too, meaning you get the same level of cleaning whether it’s a small meeting nook or an airport terminal.

“We’re a brand new firm, so we were amazed to find out that we’ve beaten some local firms by up to 75 percent on price. We’re delighted that we’re not only offering an essential service but we’re competitive too.

“We understand it’s a concerning time for bosses who are aware they need to get staff back to their offices and give them peace of mind that everything has been done to address health and safety. We’re confident that our cleaning service will be an essential step towards this.”