Free sanitization & fogging tool
Sanitization & Fogging Provider Vetting Checklist
Fifteen questions to ask any remediation provider, a readiness score, and a copyable list of what is still unanswered.
Almost anyone can buy a fogger or an electrostatic sprayer. Many cleaning companies added disinfecting services without adding training. The Provider Vetting Checklist gives you fifteen questions written for this field. Is the product EPA-registered, and does its label allow the method the company plans to use? How is dilution controlled, and how is cleaning first handled? How do they confirm surfaces stay wet long enough? Who shuts off the air system and turns it back on? How are electronics and food surfaces protected? What re-entry time will they state in writing? Are people ever allowed in during spraying? What is the company's view on ozone? And what will the service record include? As you confirm answers, the tool tracks them and gives a readiness score.
The score shows how much you have checked, not how good the company is. So treat a low score as a to-do list, not a verdict. The list of open questions you can copy is the most practical part. Send it to the company and ask for written replies. Some companies attach the label, describe how they clean first, and explain why they chose electrostatic spray over fogging for your gym. They are showing the habits you want. Others say the product is safe enough to fog around people. Or they cannot say how long the label says surfaces must stay wet. They are telling you to look elsewhere. Use the same list on every company so the comparison is fair.
How to use it
- 1Read all fifteen questions before you contact a company, so you know what a full answer sounds like.
- 2Ask each company the questions. Tick only what they confirmed with a clear answer or a document, like a label or sample ticket.
- 3Review the readiness score. Copy the open questions to send in writing.
- 4Compare companies on what they confirmed and on the written scope, not on how impressive the equipment sounds.
Prefer to ask a person?
Your request is sent to the follow-up inbox. A coordinator can reply by email. Not for emergencies; call 911 first if anyone is in danger.
Vet a provider before you sign
Sanitization & Fogging provider vetting checklist
Start with the questions specific to this kind of job. Tick each one once the provider has answered it in writing or shown you the document. Your progress stays on this device only.
Readiness: 0 of 21 confirmed (0%)
21 questions still need a written answer. Copy the list and send it to the provider before you sign anything.
A worked example
Picture a made-up facilities manager at an elementary school. After a stomach bug outbreak in two classrooms, the principal asks him to arrange disinfecting. He calls three companies. The first says they fog everything with a hospital-grade product. They say they can do it at lunch while students are outside. He asks whether the label allows fogging and what the re-entry time is. The answer is vague, and he ticks three items. The second company says they clean desks and hardware by hand first. Then they use electrostatic spray with a product they name. They email the label. It shows electrostatic use, how long surfaces must stay wet, and that the room must be empty. They also plan to seal the classroom vents and work with him to restart the air unit. He ticks twelve items. His open questions are about covering the classroom laptops, whether the restroom is included, and what the service ticket will look like. The third company answers well but insists on adding an ozone treatment overnight. He notes the ozone concern as an open question. He copies the open lists and emails the second and third companies. The second sends a sample ticket and a plan to bag the laptops. The third defends ozone but says nothing about testing the air before re-entry. He asks the second company for a written scope.
Numbers behind vetting checklist decisions
- 250 RLU
A 1,300-bed UK teaching hospital study proposed a stricter ATP pass/fail benchmark of 250 RLU for surfaces, revised down from the earlier general benchmark of 500 RLU.
Read with care: RLU values are not comparable across meter brands, and ATP measures organic residue, not whether pathogens were killed.
Source: Journal of Hospital Infection (2008)One UK NHS teaching hospital; one ATP test and device combination; 2008
- 20 seconds
A portable 254 nm UV-C device at 1 cm for 20 seconds fully inactivated five bacterial species and cut mean hospital-surface colony counts from 63.2 to 3.6.
Read with care: Efficacy was measured at 1 cm distance; UV-C output falls off quickly with distance and does not reach shadowed surfaces.
Source: Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy (PMC) (2020)Brazilian hospital surfaces and six reference strains; single device; 2020
- 9 devices
In EPA testing of six electrostatic sprayers, two foggers and a garden sprayer, most devices produced droplets of 40 microns or larger and showed minimal wrap-around deposition on an 8-inch cylinder.
Read with care: Laboratory deposition testing on a single object shape; manufacturer-recommended coverage varied widely from 2 to 53 ounces per 1,000 square feet.
Source: EPA / PLOS ONE (2021)United States; EPA Office of Research and Development laboratory study of nine commercial devices; 2021
- >6-log
A 2026 peer-reviewed lab study found electrostatic spraying of 2% hydrogen peroxide with a 10-minute contact time achieved more than a 6-log reduction of E. coli on 16 surface types.
Read with care: Single lab study with one organism and pre-inoculated surfaces; results depend on the 10-minute wet contact time being achieved.
Source: Infection, Disease & Health (Elsevier) (2026)Laboratory environment in India; E. coli on 16 inanimate surfaces; single research group
These figures are public research and agency data, not this network's own job records. Keep each number with its population, year and limits; none of them predicts cost, timing or outcome at a specific property.
Provider Vetting Checklist questions for sanitization & fogging
Why does the checklist ask whether occupants can stay during application?
Because the answer shows whether the company respects the label. Almost every fogging product requires an empty space. Electrostatic products usually do too, at least until surfaces dry. A company that says people can stay in the room has a problem. Either it is using a product in a way the label does not allow, or it does not understand the risk of breathing it in. Either way, that answer settles it.
What documents should a provider be able to produce?
The company should be able to show you the product label. It should show the EPA registration number and the approved ways to apply it. It should also give you the safety data sheet and proof of liability insurance. Ask for a sample service ticket with the product, times, rooms, and re-entry time. Ask for a written method plan too. Schools, childcare, and food settings may need extra approvals in some places, so check with the local office.
Should I ask about ozone even if the provider did not propose it?
Yes. Some companies add ozone as an upsell for odor or as a chemical-free option. Asking how they view ozone tells you what they understand. Do they know it harms the lungs and needs a fully empty space and air testing? Do they know it damages rubber, fabric, and electronics? Do they know it does not replace cleaning or registered disinfectants? A careful answer is a good sign.
Does a low readiness score mean the provider is unqualified?
It means you have not confirmed enough yet. Send the list of open questions and see what comes back. Say a company will not supply the label, or cannot explain how long surfaces must stay wet after you ask directly. That response matters more than the score. If they answer fully, the score goes up and your choice gets easier.
How do I vet a provider for buses or fleet vehicles?
Ask whether they have worked in vehicle cabins. Ask how they handle dashboard electronics, seat fabric, and the short time between runs. Ask how they confirm handrails and seat backs stay wet long enough, since those surfaces matter most. Ask whether they suggest a daily wiping routine along with any electrostatic spraying now and then. Companies with real fleet experience answer these without pausing.
Can I work through the checklist during a phone call with a provider?
You can, and it helps keep the call on track. Mark answers as you go. Afterward, send the open questions to the company and ask for written replies. Phone answers are a good start. But written ones let you compare companies side by side and hold the one you choose to what it said. If a company is slow to confirm in writing, note that on the checklist too.
What should I do when a provider says a checklist question does not apply to my building?
Ask the company to explain why in a sentence or two. Sometimes the answer is fair. One example is air system questions for a vehicle with no shared air system. Other times it points to a gap. An example is saying wet time does not matter for its product. Write down the explanation. Mark the item as confirmed only if the reasoning holds up when you compare it with the product label.
Related community polls
Every count is a real visitor vote; nothing is seeded or padded. One vote per poll per device, and you can change your answer.
A vendor offers to fog your classrooms at lunch while students are outside. What do you say?
How do you see repeat fogging contracts today?
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