Electrostatic Spraying & Fogging for Schools
Charged disinfectant delivery that wraps around and behind surfaces for complete coverage — used for post-outbreak response, pre-term deep sanitisation and high-risk period prevention using TGA-listed products. Available as a standalone response service or as a scheduled addition to an existing school cleaning program.
What Is Electrostatic Spraying?
Electrostatic spraying is a disinfection delivery method that uses electrical charge to achieve surface coverage that manual spray-and-wipe cleaning cannot match. A specialised sprayer charges disinfectant droplets with a positive electrical charge as they leave the nozzle. Surfaces in the treated room carry a neutral or slight negative charge — the positively charged droplets are magnetically attracted to these surfaces and wrap around them, including the backs of chairs, the undersides of desks, the sides of door handles and any other geometry that faces away from the applicator.
The result is consistent disinfectant coverage across every surface in the treated space — including the high-touch surfaces that are most likely to carry pathogen load — achieved in the time it takes to walk through a room with the sprayer. When combined with a TGA-listed disinfectant applied at the registered dilution, electrostatic spraying achieves a validated logarithmic reduction in the pathogen load on all treated surfaces that manual cleaning alone cannot replicate at the same speed and coverage.
ULV (Ultra Low Volume) fogging is a related technique that applies disinfectant as a fine aerosol mist rather than charged droplets. It achieves similar comprehensive surface coverage and is also used for air volume treatment in enclosed spaces where surface coverage alone is insufficient — for example, in a room with significant air volume, an active mould presence on ceiling surfaces, or after a particularly dense viral event such as a confirmed influenza cluster in an enclosed classroom.
How It Works
Pre-treatment preparation
The target area is prepared before spraying — visible soil and debris removed, surfaces pre-cleaned where required by the specific product's TGA registration, ventilation adjusted to the correct setting for the product being used. Electrostatic spraying is not a substitute for pre-cleaning on heavily soiled surfaces; it is a final disinfection step applied after routine cleaning has been completed.
Disinfectant preparation and equipment calibration
The TGA-listed disinfectant is prepared at the correct dilution for the target pathogen and application rate. The electrostatic sprayer is calibrated for the correct droplet size and charge level for the surface types in the target area — different surface materials (plastic, metal, fabric, laminate) respond differently to charged droplets, and the application rate is adjusted accordingly.
Application — systematic coverage of the target area
The operator moves through the target area in a systematic pattern, maintaining the correct distance from surfaces for the sprayer model being used. The entire area — including furniture underside, door frames, high-touch surfaces and hard-to-reach areas — is covered in a single pass. A standard classroom (60–70 square metres) can be treated in 3–5 minutes at the correct application rate.
Re-entry time — area secured until safe for re-occupation
After application, the area is secured for the re-entry period specified on the product's TGA registration — typically 10 to 30 minutes for the formulations used in school settings. During this period, the disinfectant achieves its registered contact time against the target pathogens. The area is not re-entered until the re-entry period has elapsed and the area has been ventilated to the level specified in the product SDS.
When Schools Need Fogging
Post-Outbreak Response
Following a confirmed gastroenteritis, influenza or COVID-19 outbreak in a classroom, boarding house dormitory or early learning room, electrostatic spraying provides the speed and surface coverage that manual cleaning cannot achieve in the time available before the space is needed again. A classroom affected by a norovirus outbreak — where the virus persists on surfaces for 7 or more days — benefits from electrostatic treatment with a norovirus-effective TGA-listed disinfectant (note: norovirus is not covered by all registered disinfectants; the specific ARTG registration must confirm norovirus efficacy). The treatment should occur after visible contamination has been manually removed and the space pre-cleaned, not as a substitute for that pre-cleaning step.
For schools that have experienced a significant outbreak, our infection control cleaning guide provides detailed guidance on the full outbreak response protocol of which electrostatic treatment is one component.
Pre-Term Deep Sanitisation
The start of Term 1 and the start of Term 3 (spring break return) are the two periods when a whole-campus electrostatic treatment provides the highest value as a preventive investment. At the start of Term 1, the campus has been unoccupied for six to eight weeks — surfaces are physically clean but may carry residual viral material from the last days of the previous year's illness season. A whole-campus electrostatic treatment at the start of Term 1, following the end-of-year deep clean, provides a disinfection baseline for the year that the nightly maintenance cleaning program maintains going forward.
Pre-term electrostatic treatment can be scheduled as part of the end-of-year or spring break deep clean program — it adds a single day to the break program and provides a documented disinfection event that principals can reference if illness rates are questioned later in the term. The documented treatment record — product name, ARTG number, area treated, date and time, re-entry confirmation — is included in the school's cleaning compliance documentation and can be presented to the school council, parent community or DET facilities reviewer as evidence of a proactive infection management approach. For many Melbourne school principals, the communication value of a documented whole-campus disinfection treatment at the start of Term 1 is as significant as the clinical value — it demonstrates to returning families that the campus has been reset to a high standard of hygiene for the new school year.
High-Risk Period Prevention
Term 2 — the Melbourne winter term — is consistently the highest-illness period in the Victorian school calendar. Influenza, COVID-19 and rhinovirus circulate at their annual peaks from June through August, and school classrooms are the primary community transmission environment for these pathogens. A weekly or fortnightly electrostatic treatment of high-traffic shared spaces during the winter term period — libraries, canteens, staffrooms, computer labs and other shared spaces with high-throughput student contact — provides a measurable reduction in surface pathogen load during the highest-risk period. This scheduled treatment is available as an add-on to an existing maintenance cleaning contract at a lower per-visit cost than standalone bookings. The weekly electrostatic treatment program typically covers the same high-traffic spaces each visit — library, canteen, staffroom, computer labs and any other spaces identified by the principal as high-priority — with a documented completion record for each visit. Schools that have implemented this program have found it particularly valuable in the context of teacher attendance management: reducing the surface pathogen load during peak winter illness periods reduces staff sick leave absence as well as student absence, with a compound benefit on the school's operational capacity through the most demanding teaching weeks of the year.
Products We Use — TGA-Approved
All electrostatic spraying and ULV fogging services use TGA-listed disinfectants with current Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG) registration numbers confirming efficacy against the target pathogens. The specific product selected for each treatment is matched to the target pathogen where known, or to a broad-spectrum formulation with the widest TGA-registered pathogen coverage where the pathogen is not confirmed.
| Application context | Product type | Key pathogen coverage | Re-entry time |
|---|---|---|---|
| General viral disinfection (influenza, COVID-19, rhinovirus) | TGA-listed broad-spectrum disinfectant, alcohol or quaternary ammonium base | Enveloped viruses, bacteria, fungi | 10–30 min |
| Norovirus gastroenteritis outbreak | TGA-listed disinfectant with specific norovirus ARTG registration | Non-enveloped viruses including norovirus, adenovirus | 15–30 min |
| Bacterial outbreak (impetigo, MRSA) | TGA-listed broad-spectrum bactericidal disinfectant | S. aureus, MRSA, E. coli, S. pyogenes | 10–30 min |
| Mould remediation support (fogging) | TGA-listed fungicidal formulation with ULV compatibility | Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Penicillium | 2 hours minimum |
| Preventive maintenance (scheduled) | TGA-listed broad-spectrum disinfectant, low-irritant formulation | Broad spectrum including influenza, COVID-19 | 10–15 min |
Norovirus requires specific product selection: Not all TGA-listed disinfectants cover non-enveloped viruses such as norovirus. A product with a TGA registration for "hospital-grade disinfection" may be effective against influenza and COVID-19 but not against norovirus — which requires a different chemistry (typically peracetic acid or chlorine-based formulation at the appropriate concentration). Always confirm the ARTG registration specifically includes non-enveloped virus coverage before using a product for norovirus outbreak response.
Cost
Electrostatic spraying costs for Melbourne schools depend on the area to be treated, access arrangements and frequency. A single-classroom post-outbreak treatment (30–60 square metres) typically costs $150–$280. A whole-school treatment for a 15–20 classroom primary school typically costs $800–$1,800 per visit. Ongoing scheduled treatments as part of an annual program are priced at a lower per-visit rate than standalone bookings.
For schools that need an urgent post-outbreak response, same-day and next-day bookings are available depending on location and team availability. For scheduled preventive treatments, we can include electrostatic spraying as a line item in your annual cleaning specification at the time of contract commencement or renewal. For a site-specific quote, contact us directly or see the services page for the full scope of cleaning and disinfection services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Electrostatic spraying charges disinfectant droplets with a positive electrical charge as they leave the nozzle. Surfaces carry a neutral or negative charge, causing the positively charged droplets to wrap around them — including the backs of chairs, undersides of desks and sides of door handles that manual wiping cannot reach. The result is consistent TGA-listed disinfectant coverage across every surface in the treated space in the time it takes to walk through a room with the sprayer.
Three situations: post-outbreak response (gastroenteritis, influenza, COVID-19) where manual cleaning cannot achieve the same surface coverage speed; pre-term deep sanitisation at Term 1 or Term 3 commencement for a whole-campus disinfection baseline; and high-risk period prevention during Term 2 winter for shared high-traffic spaces. See our infection control guide for the full outbreak response protocol.
Yes, when conducted with TGA-listed disinfectants at the correct dilution and with the required re-entry time observed. We use formulations with a re-entry time of 30 minutes or less for school settings where possible, scheduling treatment at the end of the school day or start of the evening so the re-entry period is satisfied before any access. All products carry a current TGA ARTG registration number, and the specific product used for each engagement is documented on a post-service record that includes the product name, ARTG number, dilution rate, application area and re-entry time confirmation — a record that can be provided to the school council, DET or parent community as evidence of the treatment.
A single-classroom post-outbreak treatment typically costs $150–$280. A whole-school treatment for a 15–20 classroom primary school typically costs $800–$1,800 per visit. Ongoing scheduled treatments as part of an annual program are priced at a lower per-visit cost. Same-day and next-day post-outbreak responses are available depending on location. Contact us for a site-specific quote.
Need a fast post-outbreak response or a pre-term disinfection program?
Same-day and next-day post-outbreak bookings available. Scheduled pre-term and winter-period programs available as annual program additions. 0484 042 336