Diwali cleaning in Covid times: Before get togethers, it’s time for sanitisation

Sanitisation service providers are registering a spike in demand as Delhiites are enthusiastically booking cleaning services, as the festival of Diwali nears.

Festival cleaning is the mood in almost every household. Amid the pandemic, Delhiites are opting for not just cleaning but going a step ahead and enthusiastically booking for sanitisation services, as the festival of Diwali nears. And service providers in Delhi-NCR have registered a noticeable spike in demand from denizens.

Delhiites are opting for professional home sanitisation services ahead of organising Diwali get-togethers. (Photo: Amal KS/HT)

“Earlier we were sanitising 6-8 homes per day, but in the festive season we have been sanitising 25-30 homes per day,” says Krishna Veer Singh, from Droom – an online car marketplace that offers antimicrobial surface protection services. Sharing that they have registered a five fold increase in bookings made for their germ shield sanitation services, Singh adds, “The festive season has definitely made people conscious of safety, since many expect guests in these weeks. Which is why we even came out with special offers to cater to a growing demand.”

“’We want people to celebrate Diwali with safety... We have seen more requests in the last few weeks, and have sanitised and cleaned over 400 houses in the last one month.”
– Aamir Ayyub, founder, Right to Safety Foundation

“As the pandemic continues, people want to be safe and not run into the risk of having infections. Many who have been planning on get-togethers or functions in their homes, and wish to celebrate the festival safely, are opting for our home cleaning services,” says Alok Pant, from Hytech Expert, a company that provides sanitisation services. He adds, “In the time of pandemic, people know it’s better to get a professional to not just clean the house, but also sanitise the exposed surfaces. In the last 40 days, in the run up to the festive season, we have serviced over 350 houses, which is 50% more than what we did in the previous months!”

Workers wear PPE kits while undertaking cleaning and disinfection tasks as per the safety protocol. (Photo: Amal KS/HT)

Those employees who provide cleaning services, are equipped with a full body protective suit to ensure the safety of customers as well as their own. Aamir Ayyub, founder of Delhi-based Right to Safety Foundation, which has been providing sanitisation services at a nominal cost of ₹1 per square foot, says, “We want people to celebrate Diwali with safety, and hence provide subsidised services in north and south Delhi. We have seen more requests in the last few weeks, and have sanitised and cleaned over 400 houses in the last one month. As Covid-19 cases are rising in the city, we are also continuing to offer sanitisation services to police and fire stations, for free.”

Mayank Sharma, a Kalkaji-based engineer, who recently got his house professionally cleaned and sanitised, says, “I’m planning to finally host a get-together of my cousins and have a card party. It was only necessary then to ensure that my surroundings were absolutely safe for everyone coming.” And for Noida resident Sheel Agarwal, sanitisation services were God sent! “I got our home sanitised because I knew if they wouldn’t have done it, my mother would have made me clean the entire house, and I absolutely detest that,” she chuckles, adding, “I anyway wouldn’t have done a good job of it, and my mother would have had to do it again, so I saved us both some time and arguments!”

Author tweets @bhagat_mallika

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