Hire & leasing
Fogging machine hire for laboratories and clean environments
In a lab, a decontamination you cannot evidence did not happen. That is the standard we work to, and it is why laboratory customers tend to ask better questions than anyone else about fogging machine hire.
In short
Laboratories and clean environments use dry fogging for whole-volume decontamination during shutdowns, after spills and between projects. The evidence base matters more than the machine: our file includes 6-log spore reduction from a single ten-minute fog and more than 5-log reduction of M. tuberculosis across an 80m³ BSL3 laboratory.
6 min read ·
Where does fogging fit in a laboratory routine?
Three places, mostly: planned shutdown and maintenance windows, response to a spill or breach, and the changeover between projects or tenants where cross-contamination would ruin results.
Summer maintenance windows are the classic case. The suite is already down, so a whole-volume treatment costs no additional downtime at all — the only requirement is having a machine and trained staff available on the day.
What evidence supports the treatment?
Independent sporicidal testing of the hydrogen peroxide chemistry we supply recorded a 6-log reduction of Geobacillus stearothermophilus spores from a single ten-minute fog, with hydrogen peroxide down to minimum detectable levels within 60 minutes.
Separate laboratory work recorded more than 5-log₁₀ reduction of Mycobacterium tuberculosis throughout an 80m³ BSL3 laboratory, which is the reason dry mist hydrogen peroxide is used where formaldehyde fumigation used to be the default.
- Up to 99.9999% (6-log) reduction across bacteria, viruses, fungi and spores
- Residue-free — no wipe-down, no waste stream
- Whole-volume coverage including cabinet exteriors, shelving and service voids in airflow
Why do labs end up leasing rather than hiring?
Because the need is unpredictable. A spill at 4pm on a Friday does not fit a hire booking window, and a hired machine cannot be validated into your SOP if it is a different unit every time.
A leased machine is the same machine, the same chemistry, the same dose and the same trained operators every time — which is exactly what an auditor wants to see.
Does it replace biosafety cabinet decontamination?
No. Cabinet decontamination is its own procedure with its own standards; whole-room fogging deals with the environment around it. The two are complementary and most laboratory sites run both.
Sanondaf runs end-user biosafety seminars on cabinet decontamination, and we can point laboratory teams at them alongside the machine training.
Frequently asked
- Can fogging be validated for our SOP?
- Yes. Dose, contact time, safe re-entry and operator competence are all documented per room at survey, which is what makes it referenceable in an SOP or risk assessment.
- Is hydrogen peroxide fogging safe for lab equipment?
- The fog is dry and residue-free, and dosing is matched to room volume. Specific sensitive instruments are identified at survey and covered in your method.
- How large a space can one machine handle?
- Large rooms are treated by volume and, where needed, in zones. The published laboratory work covers an 80m³ room from a single unit.
- Do you lease to university and research facilities?
- Yes — universities, research centres, NHS and private laboratories and similar organisations are all within our approved sectors.
Sources: material published by Sanondaf UK at sanondaf.co.uk (news, research and case studies) and the technical and commercial documentation held by the Shropshire & West Midlands office. Figures are indicative and confirmed at survey. Efficacy is stated as up to 99.9999% reduction.