City of Clayton Sanitizes Playground Equipment Before Reopening Parks

West Milton, OH (July 23, 2020) — Liberty Services Decon Division sanitizes playground equipment in three Clayton, Ohio public parks before reopening to the public.

On March 22, 2020, Ohio's governor, Mike DeWine issued a state-wide stay-at-home-order which included the closing of all playground equipment in parks. Playground equipment remained closed until June 10, 2020 when the restriction was lifted.

Prior to reopening playground equipment, many city officials were looking for safe ways to do so. Randy Sanders, Public Service Director of the City of Clayton, wanted to sanitize all playground equipment before the public returned. "I looked at a variety of processes and products before deciding on those that Liberty Services offers," said Sanders. "I needed a product that was effective and safe – especially because we were dealing with areas frequented by children."

"After speaking with James Luebke, President of Liberty Services," Sanders continued, "I felt comfortable with their offering because it was both natural and registered with the EPA."

James Luebke, President of Liberty Services Decon explained, "we use chlorine dioxide products because they are biodegradable and meet the EPA's criteria for use against SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Before deciding on chlorine dioxide products, we studied a commonly used product line called quaternary ammonium compounds, or QUATs. Once we learned that QUATs can irritate the lungs, lead to respiratory issues, and irritate skin, Liberty Services Decon decided against them."

Luebke continued, "While its name suggests that chlorine is the active part of chlorine dioxide products, it actually is not. Chlorine dioxide works by releasing free oxygen once it is dissolved in water. The free oxygen literally burns up organic material it contacts, such as bacterial and viral cells and it is much more reactive than its chlorine-based counterparts. Because we disperse the product through fogging, we can reach places not easily reached by other processes. And once we sanitize a location, we provide them with a Trust Program Safety Notice sign so they can communicate their sanitation commitment to employees and public."