Landscaping company shifts to sanitizing public spaces in response to coronavirus

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- A landscaping company in Colorado Springs is now offering sanitizing services of public spaces as they adapt to closures due to the coronavirus.

Joshua Pool, the chief operations officer for Timberline Landscaping, says they will offer commercial and residential outdoor sanitization to help prevent the spread of viruses and bacteria.

“With all the stuff that’s going on in the world today we figured ‘What could we do to help our society and our neighborhoods, and our children and families, as well as provide jobs for people right now that are looking for work?” Pool said.

Although COVID-19 primarily spreads through respiratory droplets from person-to-person, the Centers for Disease Control says there's evidence suggesting the virus can remain viable on different surfaces.

Pool says they will be offering the service even after the local outbreak goes down.

“I think a lot of people are going to be really hyper sensitive nowadays going forward from here," he said.

Doug Nelson, who is a sales consultant for Waxie Sanitary Supply, says his company provides the disinfectant used by Timberline Landscaping.

"The product we're using is a hydrogen peroxide disinfectant," Nelson said. "There's no film left behind using that chemical. So there's no substrates where those viruses can live."

Some of the surfaces the company will clean and sanitize include:

• Playground structures
• High-touch surfaces of parks and community areas such as trash cans, benches, and handrails
• Bicycle racks
• Benches, tables, or other picnic structures
• Fences and infrastructure in dog parks 

Pool says their businesses would fall under the "essential" services list because it provides sanitizing for other companies.

"It's a way for us to adapt and find work that we can still do and then also provide a service to the community," Pool said.