There is one team in Orlando you’ve not watched on TV, but they’re playing as major a protagonist role in the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando as any team involved in the month-long World Cup-style competition.
And it’s a team that already knows it will be the last one standing on August 12, the day after the championship final. They were also the first to arrive.
The BELFOR Property Restoration cleaning team has been at MLS HQ in Orlando every day since late June. But this isn’t the bleach-and-brush cleaning that the average person dabbles in at home. This is next level stuff. The kind that’s necessary during a pandemic.
The BELFOR teams are titled “restoration technicians,” certified and trained in water, fire and mold remediation as well as … biohazards. When they’re not busy helping to keep players, referees and staff safe at MLS HQ, they’re responding to environmental and hazmat situations.
Playing defense against bacteria
These restoration crews are working up to 12+ hour days, ensuring all key areas at MLS HQ are deep cleaned and sanitized according to official protocol: club lounges, meeting areas, meal spaces, medical rooms and the 10 gyms built out for use by the teams which are cleaned three times a day. The technicians spend anywhere between 60-90 minutes on each space, depending on the size.
“BELFOR’s team of trained professionals have been offering restoration services for more than 70 years, including in our core business, environmental and biohazard cleaning.” said Sheldon Yellen, CEO of BELFOR Property Restoration. “We are proud to offer the ‘peace of mind’ that their athletic and lodging facilities are safe and clean for the athletes, coaches, training staff, faculty and family members as we all look forward to the comeback of sports.”
Their tools of the trade? Electrostatic fogging machines like the ones you’ve seen on the news in recent weeks—they transform liquid disinfectant into microscopic droplets. Then they follow that up by applying a special BELFOR proprietary anti-microbial solution to all surfaces, providing protection for up to 90 days. This works differently from the stuff you buy off the shelf.
It’s a solution that forms a nano-bed layer of spikes on the given surface. Those nano-molecular spikes carry a positive charge, attracting the negatively charged bacteria, piercing the cell, rupturing the cell membrane and causing that bacterial microorganism to die.
MLS fans at home probably don’t have foggers or nano spikes, but BELFOR’s experts have some advice as to how to keep their places sanitized: In between cleanings, disinfect high touch points often, including car interiors and cell phones, with an EPA list “N” disinfectant.
