Demand for disinfection services increased by 30% amid surge in COVID-19 cases

SINGAPORE: In the face of the ongoing surge in COVID-19 cases, local cleaning companies are reporting a substantial spike in demand for disinfection services, with an increase of up to 30 per cent in the past month. Business operators are responding to this surge by deploying additional manpower and extending working hours to meet the heightened service demand.

Cleaning workers are working tirelessly to spray disinfectant in public spaces and diligently wipe down areas frequently touched by people, aiming to curb the spread of the coronavirus. Each cleaning session involves a team of two to three people, and the entire disinfection process can be completed in approximately two hours. Remarkably, one team can complete up to eight disinfection sessions in a single day.

Traditionally, the end of the year marks the peak period for cleaning services, with demand typically rising by 10 to 15 per cent due to the holiday season. However, the current surge in Covid-19 cases has led to an even more significant increase in demand.

The operations manager of one cleaning company expressed the heightened anxiety among clients, as they told Channel 8 news: “Clients will be very anxious and ask, ‘I have just recovered today, can you come down and help me complete the disinfection work?’ So it is mostly for families because it is mainly children and the elderly who are more vulnerable at home. We have actually started preparations a month before, deploying three teams instead of two to meet the demand.”

Another industry operator emphasized that demand for disinfection services has surged in the past month, mainly from households. To meet this surge, company employees are working extended hours, with most team members now putting in 12-hour shifts from 8 am to 8 pm daily.

With the Lunar New Year approaching next month, both companies revealed that their calendars are almost fully booked.